Dd. 32855 Ed (4200)
CONFIDENTIAL
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NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
5.
We recognised, and wished that this could have
i
been avoided, that the instructions concurred reluctantly are
given you,
(in which)
Bet
we had
u would cause local difficulties and
gw
embarrassment, but could, in the light of Board
*
of Trade opinion, devise no way of avoiding this.
I did, however, in view of your categoric request
that the situation should be put to Ministers,
on 18 Auguar
talk to Lord Shepherd and explain what had
happened.
While he was, of course, sympathetic
to your predicament, he agreed with me that
there seemed little that we could do await and
t
see
how
He
the outcome of your talks with the Canadians.went.
In the light of your telegram No. 655 about the
first day's meeting with the Canadians we
(again Trade/a
consulted the Board of Trade and sent you their
views about further talks. I hope that if the
Canadians really do take umbrage and "demand
negotiations with us" that we shall be able to
meet them, although, as we said in F.C.O. telegram
No. 550, such talks would not really be useful
in advance of the Board of Trade having made up
their minds about the broader issues and having
tained Ministerial approval of their position.
Incidentally, in your telegram reporting the first
day's meetings you mentioned that the Canadians
were incensed that we had given no inkling of
our instructions to Ottawa before their departure.
I note that you never replied to
paragraph 7 of F.C.O, telegram No. 513 and, given that the
Canadians were virtually on their way by the time
the decisions set out in F.C.0. telegrams Nos. 536 and 537 were taken I doubt if anything useful could
/have