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Having learnt from Mr. Foster
this morning that he was not aware of any
recent developments, I rang up Mr. Cribbett
of/
0 Minutes.
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of the Air Mission who, since he had a
lot to do with the original British
Civilian Technical Corps, has "been given
the job "by the Joint Staff Mission of
handling the present two questions - i.e.
the proposal that the U.S. authorities
should undertake certain specific
constructional and other works in British
territories, and that the U.S. authorities
should recruit some kind of American
civilian technical corps, the members of
which could then be sent to serve in the
U.K.
Mr. Cribbett said that as regards
the first project General Bretfwas very
shortly leaving for England and that one of
his jobs while there would be to consider
the whole of this plan.    I gathered from
Mr. Cribbett that in these circumstances
the Joint Staff Mission thought it unneces-
sary for them to take any further action
here in the matter.   This is probably the
case, as in paragraph h of E.E. Bridges'
letter to Balfour of August 1st it is
stated that "the details of the various
schemes falling under proposal A will I
think have to be dealt with over here as
only the Departments themselves are in a
position to amplify the schemes". ^\
As regards the second plan - that
of recruiting American man-power - it was
our understanding that immediately on
Mr, Hopkins's return the Joint Staff Mission
would write him a letter reminding him of
the scheme and asking him how he would like
it dealt with over here.     Mr. Cribbett told
me that no progress in this direction had
been made and. that no approach had yet been
made to Hopkins.    I told Mr. Cribbett that
I was surprised to hear this since the
Ambassador, before going away, had talked
the v/hole question over with the Heads of
the Joint Staff Mission and had told them
that he had had a letter on the subject from
Lord Hankey emphasizing the importance which
the authorities at home attached to the
matter.     H.E. had made it clear that in
these circumstances he v/as very anxious that
all possible progress should be made with
the matter by the Joint Staff Mission and
that he v/as relying on them to lose no time
in pursuing it with Mr. Hopkins.    I indicated
pretty clearly to Mr, Cribbett that I
thought poorly of the failure of the Joint
Staff Mission (with all their enormous staff)
to take any action in the matter during the
last fortnight, and suggested that if they
did not get on with the job quickly the
Embassy might have to take it over. This
apparently had the desired effect on Mr.
Cribbett, and he promised to take the matter
up with Air Marshal Harris at once and
endeavour to get the latter to approach Mr.
Hopkins without further delay.
I will remind Mr. Cribbett again in a
few days time and will do my best to keep the
Air Mission up to the mark.
August 28th, X9W.