126

Mr S. M. Bruce, High Commissioner in London, to Mr J. A. Lyons, Prime Minister

Cablegram unnumbered LONDON, 15 February 1938, 4.36 p.m,

MOST SECRET HIMSELF

The Prime Minister most appreciative of your message of 12th February [1] and asked me to convey to you his sincere thanks.

With his concurrence I am now discussing the position with the individual United Kingdom Ministers concerned. [2]

BRUCE

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1 Document 125. Bruce saw U.K. Prime Minister Chamberlain on 14 February.

2 Bruce had talks with Sir Maurice Hankey (Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence) on 15 February; Sir Thomas Inskip (Minister for Co-ordination of Defence) on 3 March; Malcolm MacDonald (Dominions Secretary) on 15 March; Sir Horace Wilson (Chief Industrial Adviser to U.K. Government) on 21 March; Leslie Hore-Belisha (Secretary for War) on 28 March; and Sir Robert McLean (Chairman of Vickers (Aviation) Ltd) on 7 April. In each case he stressed the urgency of rearmament, particularly with respect to air defence, and advocated that this should have priority over financial considerations. See AA : AA1970/556 item 6(1).

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[AA : A463, 57/1535]