22nd riovewber, 1940
Dear Mr. Acting Secretary,
As you will oe aware the question of
the areae to be leaeed .to the United States
authorities in connexion with the proposed
establishment of United States bases In New-
foundland was dealt with In a letter which I
addressed to tho Secretary of the Navy on
November 11th.
I have now been Instructed to inform
you tttM na regards the proposed bases In
3ermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, St.
Lucia and British Culana^ all the British
suthoritlee concerned have now been able to
consider the proposals put forward by Hear
Admiral Greonslade during his recent visits
to these colonies and have now reached agree-
ment as to the areas which should be leased
and the facilities which should be accorded to
the United States authorities in the different
colonies.   It la understood that these areas
and facilities, a description of which is con-
tained in the schedule annexed to this letter,
are in accordance with the requirements of the
United States authorities.   Xou will moreover
note from this schedule that the question of
the grant of certain further facilities at
Bermuda and St. Lucia Is still under consideration
The whole question of the area to be leased and
facilitlua to be granted in Trinidad is also still
under examination by the British authorities.
In the majority of cases the exact
boundaries of the areas to oe leased have yet
to be defined and it will of course eventually
be necessary for formal leases to be concluded
In terms still to oe agreed on, leasing the areas
in question to the United States authorities for
tho perioi of 99 years.     Before however such
leases can be concluded It will be necessary for
The Honourable
Sumner Bellas,
Acting Secfosary of State of the United States,
Washington, DaC«
various/
[OVKR
various questions concerning In tor alia matters
of administration and jurisdiction to be discussed
between our two governments.   As the Ambassador has
already explained in his letter of October 14th
to Colonel Knox and on other occasions, the British
Government feel that the discussions on these points
could most appropriately take place In London, and
X ha e aeen Instructed to express the hope that the
United States Government will also share this view»
His '-ajesty's Government have however no
desire to surest that work on the various bases
should be postponed pending the completion of the
formal leaaes and X am authorised to Inform you
that as far as they are concerned the British
authorities are entirely agreeable that work should
be oe^un by the American authorities without further
delay on all the sites their locations of which
have already been agreed upon and which are set
out In the attached schedule.   In the case   >f the
proposed base in Antigua, however, His Majesty's
Government are anxious for the reasons set out In
my letter of November 4th to the Secretary of the
liavy, and In order, to avoid dleturblng the local
labour position, that If possible any major con-
structional work in that Island should be postponed
until June, 141,   I am to express the hope that
the United States authorities may find it poaaible
to meet the views of the British authorities in
this respect.
Relieve me,
Eear MP* Acting Secretary,
Very sincerely yours.
(Signed) K. Butler