128

Prime Minister's Department to Mr S. M. Bruce, High Commissioner in London

Cablegram unnumbered 9 April 1940,

Wool. See our telegrams 23rd February [1] and 12th March [2] raising questions regarding price charged for wool to neutrals and basis of profit sharing. We can see no valid reason for complete absence any reply and desire you to convey to Ministry our insistence immediate advice.

The time for review of the price is approaching and we desire the two points mentioned above to be cleared up before the major price review takes place.

We consider we have been very patient regarding wool in circumstances which have frequently been exasperating, and we desire you adopt stiff attitude in pressing for the reply mentioned above. [3]

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1 Document 75.

2 On file AA: A1608, L37/1/5.

3 On 19 April 1940 Bruce dispatched an unnumbered cablegram informing Menzies that the U.K. Wool Control was drawing up a comprehensive memorandum on the method by which the price charged to neutrals was arrived at and that a copy would be dispatched to A. F. Bell, Chairman of the Central Wool Committee. For this and subsequent correspondence on the subject see file cited in note 2.

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[FA: A3196, 0.2095]