Cablegram 73 LONDON, 20 March 1944, 1.06 p.m.
MOST SECRET
Your telegram 14th March, No. 66, International organisation. [1]
We had assumed in the absence of any comments from you on our telegram D.1102 of 14th [December] [2] and our further telegram D.28 6th January [3] repeating reply sent to Canadian Government that you had not dissented from our view that we should accept proposal for preliminary exchange of views between parties to Moscow declaration. [4]
2. In the circumstances we fear that matters have now gone too far for it to be possible to suspend or modify proposed informal conversations with United States Government. My telegrams of to- day D.401 and 402 [5] set out instructions which have been sent to His Majesty’s United Kingdom Ambassador at Washington regarding arrangements for proposed talks.
3. We hope to communicate further with you regarding lines of proposed papers which we are preparing (see my telegram D.402) and shall welcome your views on them.
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1 Document 77.
2 On file AA:A989, E43/1/1.
3 On file AA:A989, 43/735/1016/1.
4 i.e. the Four Power Declaration.
5 On file AA:A5954, box 647.
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[AA:A5954, BOX 606]