C.R.T.3545/35
Copy for your information.
BOARD OF TRADE.
115
12th November, 1935.
Dear Makins,
With reference to our talk on the 4th November
about the advance copy of the Foreign Office Memorandum of
Evidence in connection with Item 3 of the Terms of Reference
of the Royal Commission on Arms which Stevenson sent to
Fennelly on the 3rd September, we should like to make the
following observations on that document.
(1) The first paragraph of the Memorandum, read in con- junction with paragraph (2) 1, conveys the impression that all applications for licences to export arms are referred to the Foreign Office, but our normal practice is to refer
to you only applications relating to the export of war
material. I suggest that the position might be set out more exactly if the words "war material" were inserted instead of
"arms" in the second line of the Memorandum. This involves
a consequential amendment in paragraph 2 (1): the words "war material or arms designed for war purposes (e.g. sport)"
might well be omitted, as under the term "The nature of the
consignment" the question is whether the goods are war
R.k.Makins, Esq.
Foreign Office.
/material