Letter [LONDON], 9 September 1942
My McDougall has been in Washington for the past month and has been putting in some quite useful work. The question I sent him to Washington on was Wheat [1] and this was the official reason for his presence there. He has, however, been unofficially in touch with both the State Department and Wallace’s organisation [2] with regard to reconstruction questions.
As you know the State Department and Wallace’s organisation have not at all times been on the best of terms. McDougall who has contacts in both has apparently been used to a considerable extent as an outsider to help in composing these differences.
I enclose herewith a Note which McDougall has sent me entitled ‘Progress in the War of Ideas’. The note is of interest as indicating something of what is in the minds of the Americans. It originated from a paper which McDougall drafted after discussions with me here. He took it to America and I have had three revised drafts of it since he was there. [3] These revised drafts have been the result of conversations with either the State Department or Wallace’s people.
The final draft, which I am sending you, took shape as a result of the Vice President reading the Memorandum aloud, and pausing for comments as he went along, at a private dinner which was attended by a number of the people concerned with this matter in America.
[4] In view of this it may be taken as giving some indication of the way their minds are working in Washington.
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1 i.e. to represent Australia at the first meeting of the International Wheat Council.
2 i.e. the Board of Economic Warfare, of which Wallace was Chairman.
3 For the earlier drafts see file AA:M104, 10.
4 See McDougall’s letter to Bruce of 1 September on the file cited in note 2.
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[S. M. BRUCE]