800.796/8–944
Memorandum by the Chief of the Aviation Division (Morgan) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
Mr. Berle: Reference my memorandum of August 9th.
I telephoned Mr. Gore-Booth to ask whether any comment had been received from London regarding our plan to commence negotiations for landing rights. He replied that nothing had been received.
I then said that as we had waited a week for any comment that might be forthcoming and two weeks since the conversation with Lord Beaverbrook, I was inclined to think we should proceed with our plan without further delay. There had been no reason to expect any comment after the matter had been cleared between Mr. Berle and Lord Beaverbrook, but we had wanted to give the Foreign Office time to make some comment if it cared to do so.
Mr. Gore-Booth raised no objection to our proceeding without further delay but simply felt bound to point out that he could not definitely say either that the British Government had no comment to make; only that no comment had been received. He agreed that we had waited ample time.
I told him, therefore, that we would get out our instructions immediately.