Cablegram 642 LONDON, 10 November 1939, 8.40 p.m.
FOR THE PRIME MINISTER MOST SECRET
Dominions Office D.67 [1] and 68 [2], paragraphs one to six, appear to be acceptable although in paragraph two I would prefer ‘will require’ for ‘can only be based’ which in my view links us too unbreakably with the French aims and in paragraph six I doubt the wisdom of incorporating references to dismemberment and disruption of Germany. Paragraph 7 in my view requires modification as in its present form it does not make clear that limitation of public statements to lines indicated is only for period until oral and private discussions visualised in Dominions Office D.67 have taken place. Paragraph 8 also requires modification as it merely invites a further despatch from French which will be very long in forthcoming as previous portions of reply will be entirely acceptable to French and those I described as subscribing to school of thought mentioned in my telegram No.586 of 26th October. [3]
For your personal information I suspect this indefinite postponement is what is desired and in this connection I have ground for believing that the despatch of Charge d’Affaires at Paris sent you in D.O. telegrams [4] was inspired by Churchill on his recent visit to Paris. [5]
BRUCE
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1 Document 339.
2 Document 340.
3 Document 308.
4 See Document 341 5 Winston S. Churchill, U.K. First Lord of the Admiralty, visited Paris between 2 and 5 November 1939 for talks with French leaders.
See the Times, 6 November 1939, P.6.
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[AA: A981, WAR 45B, ii]