DRAFT TC Mr. R. A. BUTLER.
13.4.40.

Many thanks for your note of the 5th about Huxley.

It is not just that we were not au courant, but that things were being done which we thought we should be doing, and which we had been trying to get leave to do.

The first letter for which I was responsible was our official one of 12th February. In a note to the Secretary of State of 6th March I referred to many things which might be done and which Lothian might agree to if Whyte were to see him. Replying on the 15th Lord Halifax feared that Whyte's going would be misunderstood but he said Huxley was coming soon and we should talk things over with him. The same day, in the course of conversation, it was agreed that I should write a further memorandum on intensification of effort within the no-propaganda policy. This I did on the 27th, remarking in the covering note that we were receiving a good deal of criticism from visitors from the States, both English and American. On 4th April the Secretary of State wrote saying he was sending the document to Lothian for his comments, that it was being studied meanwhile, and that we would have Foreign Office observations as soon as possible.

You can imagine how surprised I was to hear from Huxley the very same day, of his appointment and that publicity (or propaganda) in the States was to be handled, exceptionally, direct by the Foreign Office and not by this Ministry. As you say, the objective in his appointment and in the associated New York one certainly commends itself to us. One of the questions we wished to take up with you was whether this Ministry should not be directly represented in the States as we are in all other countries and not necessarily by just a Press Attaché.

Incidentally, your application of 5th April to the Treasury for authority to make these appointments was referred to us. We have agreed, but you will see the humour of this.

Now we ask that these appointments and the duties assigned should not prejudice discussion between us about separate representation of this Ministry in the States; and that the fact that we are not now represented should not affect the relative responsibilities of Foreign Office and Ministry - meaning that while the general policy to be pursued must be agreed with you, we should correspond with the Ambassador and he with us as is the case elsewhere. (There has been difficulty on several occasions recently in getting replies to letters and telegrams, and in his despatch of February 8 about Huxley he does not refer to us. We ask also that it should be understood with the Ambassador that the American Division here should have the same right of direct correspondence with Huxley as if he had been appointed by us.