Foreign Relations: U.S.: General
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BRITIffi EMBASSY,
Ho.151.
WASHIHGTOI, D»0*9
February 7th 1959.
My Lord,
As % had the honour to Inform Your
Lordship is my telegram Ho.62 of February fed,
the President at his press conference on that
day emphatically denied that at his secret
meeting with the members ef the Senate Military
Affairs Committee he had declared that the
"Aroerieaje frontier 'was in ffipaheo"*   He went
on to accuse hie opponents in Congress and
certain elements in the p#*ea of having deliberately
and mlschievou sly misrepresented him to serve
their own political ends* Finally as reported in
my telegram under reference he declared that
there had been no change in the foreign policy
of the United States Government and enunciated
In a set statement the four cardinal points on
which he claimed this policy was based.     The text
of this statement is enclosed herein*
2. If the President hoped that his remarks
would damp down the storm which has been raging in
Congress and In the press ever since the news about
the supply of aircraft to France leaked out, he
was grievously mistaken*   The only result of his
action has teen to add fuel to the flames, to
encourage the opposition, and to make it almost
The Right Honourable .
The) Viscount Halifax, K.G. f
etc., etc., etc.
inevitable/
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inevitable that Congress will insist on a full
drees debate on the Government's foreign policy
at an early date.   It la generally believed that
what the President really said to the Senators
was that France represented the first line of
defenoe of the United States* a statement vhioh
is s^lf^evident to mt sensible people and does
not imply any commitment by the United States to
come to France's assistance.   Xr- Kark Sullivan*
a veteran Republican columnist, has written much
the earn thing In an article entitled "England
America's shield", in which he strongly advocates
the sale of aircraft to the United Kingdom and
Fnae**^4'
3« It Is more the President's methods and
the secrecy with which he is accused of trying to
surround the Administration's actions than his
actual policy that are being attacked at the present
moment.   The out-and-out isolationists are naturally
in full cry against the President, though even
they have not gone so far as to suggest that the
supply of alreraft to France or the United Kingdom
should be stopped.   They are* however, complaining
that the President by his actions is creating the
impression,both at hone and abroad,   that the Waited
States la definitely committed to support the
United Kingdom and France in the event of a European
erljKto./
3s
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crisis.   Senator Hamilton Lewis, f or example,
speaMng in the Senate on January Slat, called
attention to the remarks about the United states
made by the Prime Minister in hla recent apseches
and Insinuated that Mr* Otwlttberlain wee endeavouring
to suggest to the British people that "they had
the great power of the United states in support of
their measures and their undertakings".   Mr. Lewis
declared that there had never been an expression
from those in authority in the united States to
Justify any foreign premier to say what the position
of the United States would be In a matter in which
the foreign government la involved, particularly
where it la a military contention and a military
conflict". 1||
4* Many newspapers have, however, pointed out
that the known sympathies of the President with the
democratic powers are shaved by the majority of
people in this country, and that the last thing
that American public opinion wishes to see is the
triumph of the totalitarian states.   It has indeed
been pointed out that even President Hoover, in hla
speech mentioned in my despatch 3o«lS8 of February
3rd, while attacking the President's policy, went out
of his way to give a warning that in certain
eventualities the United States could not remain
indifferent to what might happen in Burope* 7h*
ex-President said: "We oust not elose eur eyes to
the conditions under whieh the American people,
disregarding/
disregarding all other questions, sight Join la a
Kuropean war.   we are ft humane people and our Inanity
can be overstrained by brutality.   That was one of
tli© causes of our entry into the last war. For
instance, if wholesale attack were made en women
and children by the deliberate destruction of cities
from the air, then the indignation of the American
people could not be restrained from action .......
I do not believe officials of any nation have become
so foolish or dame the depth of barbarism of such an
undertaking.   $h* indignation in the United States
to-day at such killings in Spain and China, where it
Is- excused as the accident of attempts to demoralise
munitions supply should be Earning of the teaper which
would be raised".     Walter Lippmannia an article in
the paper of February 4th describes these words of Mr*
Hoover as "very plain speaking indeed0*
8* But even though a great many people in this
country - and not only the members of his own party §
may share the President's sympathies with the democracies,
there can bs little doubt that a very large body of
opinion - Democrat .as well as Republican  * is profoundly
distrustful of the President's methods, sod nervous
lest as a result of the secrecy and apparent haste with
which he Is alleged to be acting the people of the United
States should suddenly find themselves definitely
committed to a certain lias of action in Surope without
having had any opportunity of expressing an opinion in
the natter. This feeling and also the complaint that,
instead/
37
instead of trying at this critical Junoture as fa*
as possible to establish the highest possible measure
of agreement la the country on foreign policy, the
President by hia actions during the last tan days
has only increased the differences of opinion on tha
subject, are widely voiced la the newspapers. la
consequence there is a very general demand that the
President should take an early opportunity of clarifying
the situation, and of stating exactly what Ida policy
la, and what steps ha proposes to take to put this
policy into effect*    This feeling la well expressed by
Mr. Arthur Krock in the "Hew York Times" of February
7th, where he writes:* "Iff the President believes, as he
la credited with believing, that arms reduction will
only come whea the dictators are matched by the
democracies to a point where war will be    demonstrably a
disastrous defeat, that the independence of nations
will only bo assured whan that psychology is established}
and that - short of war * the United States should pursue
its policy to that end, why not openly say so to the
American people?"
6» it is unfortunate that at a time when Br.
HooseveIt wishes to create abroad an impression of
determination and unanimity ha should still continue
to alienate h la moderate Democrats la Congress by injudicious
and provocative appointaents which indicate that hie
radicalism is by no means abated-   There ie a good deal
of bad feeling between Congress and the President, and he
la accused of not listening to the words of wisdom of Mr*
Garner/
Garner, who la an acknowledged expert In feeling
the pttlse of Congreaa*   The President's critics
within his own party are growing both la numbe»e
and la outspokenness; they complain that ha appeara
to remain blind to the lesson of last autumn's
elections that the country wants no more experimental
legislation and radical appointments, but wishes
to return to the middle of the road.   The dangar of all
thla is that if the quarrel with Congreaa develops
much further the President will be unable to carry
his plana for the revision of the Neutrality Act.
X am sending a copy of thla despatch to the
High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Canada*
I have the honour to be.
with the highest respect*
My Lord,
Your Lordship1s most obedient*
humble sefvant,
(309) V.A L. m4LL8T,
H. H. Charge d« Affaires.