Department of £tato
Weenington
December 13, 1940.
S
My dear Mr. Cbargtf d'Affalress
j The receipt la acknowledged of your letter of
// '.      Novemoer 22, 1940. encloalng a achedule describing
the areas and facilities propoaed to be granted to
the United States for bases In Bermuda, the Bahamas,
Jamaica, Antigua, St* Lucia, and Brltlah Guiana.
Your letter <*onr'onte<i as regards this schedule that
the question of the grant of cortaln other facilities
In Bermuda and Hi Lucia la still unuer consideration
and that the whole queation of tne area to be leased
and the facilities to he granted In Trinidad is atill
under examination by the British authorities*
Your letter continueJ that in the majority of
cases the exact boundaries of the areas to bo leaaed
have yet to oe defined, and tnat Tt will of course
eventually be necessary for formal leases to be con-
cluded In terms alll to oe agreed upon, leasing the
areas In question to the United States for the period
of ninety-nlno yeara: you added that before such leases
can be concluded tt will be necessary for various quea-
tlona concerning inter alia matters of Jurisdiction to
oe discussed between our two Governments.
Your letter further pointed out that His
Brlt.anio Majesty's Government has no desire to sujjest
that work on the various bases should be postponed^
pending the completion of the formal leases, and that
you were authorized to inform me that as far as the
Brltlah Government are concerned the British authorities
are entirely agreeable that work should be be .;un by the
American authorities without further delay on all the
sites the location of which ha e already been agreed
upon and which were set forth In the schedule enclosed
with your letter.
I have the following oomenta to make concern-
lng the schedule which waa enclosed with your letter
of Movenber 22nd j
Mr. M.M. Butler, C.V.O.,
Charge* d'Affaires ad interim of
Oreat Britain
:>ermuda/
[OVER.
- 2 -
Bermuda
It la noted that the schedule. In sub-paragraph (e),
reade as follows|
"The question of the grant of minor
facilities affecting an Island or Islands
In the Great Sound Is still under consid-
eration."
It is balleved that the following would be a clearer
statement of the present status t
"The question of the grant of
facilities affecting an Island or Islands
In the Great Sound for the operation of
seaplanes Is still under consideration."
I am unable to agree that the proposed seaplane bese
of the United States In Bermuda can be described as
the grant of "minor facilities".
In sub-paragraph (a) presumably the reference to
"Rofe's Bay" should be changed to "Richardson's Hay",
and In sub-paragraph (b) "Riga's Bay" should bo changed
to "Higg's bay".
The bahamaa
The schedule falls to mention an area of one and
one-half square miles which we desire to Include In the
lease for the acquisition of landing fields.   It Is
therefore suggested t int t e following statement be
added to the schedulei
"An area of about one and one-half square
miles for use as a landing field, to be
located after an engineering reconnaissance.
Jamaica
The word "of" In sub-paragraph (b) should be
changed to "and".   The sentence would then read as
followss
"Land area to Include Ooat Island and the
adjacent Ceys, and approximately thirty-
three square mllas In and east of Oa'leon
Harbor.* -
IOVI-R.
In sub-paragraph (c) the word "Bight" should be
changed to "Ridge11, and "Portland Island" should be
changed to "Pigeon Island"•
In sub-paragraph (d) It Is suggested that the
figure "100 acres" be chsnged to "226 acres" to con-
form to the larger area desired and Included In the
draft letters, '
British Guiana
It Is suggested that sub-paragraph (a) be
changed to read as followsj
"An aerodrome on the Bank of the
River Demerara twenty-five miles up with
emergency patrol plena fncllltlea."
The reason for t:ie suggested change Is that the present
wording gives the Impression that this Installation
Is primarily a seaplane base, whereas actually It
will be s land plane base with emergency patrol plane
facilities.
I am happy to note your assurance that ths suthorl-
tles of your Government are agreeable that work should
be begun by the American authorities without delay on
all the sites the locations of which have alrendy been
agreed upon and which are set forth in ths schedule
enclosed with your letter under reference*     It is my
understa ding that this statement in this regard Is a
formal assurance tnat work oaa be commenced Immediately
on the above-mentioned sites without waiting for the
signature of a lease for the property Involved, and
that this statement further constitutes s formal as-
surance that the British authorities concerned will
acqulrs the properties on which the construction Is
started and will subsequently lease them to the Govern-
ment of the United States In accordance with the pro-
visions of ths basic exchange of notes of September 2,
1940,
It is further my understanding that If condemna-
tion proceedings are required In any of the areas
designated the appropriate British authorities Imme-
diately will Institute such proceedings•   It is un-
derstood that meanwhile the Jnlted ftates authorities
shall/
4
¦hall bo free to proceed with construction without
delay.
I have noted the statement that it la the wish
of your Government that, if possible, any major con-
struction work In connection with the proposed base In
Antigua should be postponed until June, 1941* In
your letter of November 21 th, you add that a further
communication from London makes It clear that in the
meantime the Governor has no oojectlon whatever to
any preliminary operations on the proposed air base
being begun forthwith.   It la believed that the minor
facilities now planned for Immediate installation
will not fall in the category of major work and will
not upset the local labor market.     In any event It
la considered that the employment of local and Imported
labour on all work can be handled to the complete
satisfaction of the Governor.
As you know, the President Is keenly desirous
that all of the negotiations in respect to sites and
leases for t'ese bases should be carried to a success-
ful conclusion as soon as possible.   V.lth that In view
I have designated an Informal committee to handle
these negotiations consisting of the following t Mr.
James Clement Eunn, Mr. Green H. Hackworth, and Mr. John
Hlckeraon# of the Apartment of State; Captain R. E.
Schuirmann of the United States Navy, and Lieutenant
Colonel R. W. Crawford of the United States Army. It
occurs to me that It might facilitate the conduct
Of the negotiations If you designated officials of
your Embassy to confer with this Informal committee.
I am, my dear   r. uutler.
Sincerely y urs,
( i^ned) C0RI3ELL HiLL