GREASTEST NAVAL BLOC IN HISTORY

An Agreement of far reaching importance to the two great English speaking democracies was made on September 2^nd 1940; By it Great Britain undertook to lease territory in her transatlantic colonies to the United States for air and naval bases, receiving in return the transfer to the Royal Navy of fifty American destroyers.

We give below the text of the Agreement and Mr Churchill’s announcements in the House of Commons before after its conclusion.

The Pact was eventually signed in London on March 27^th 1941.

Mr Churchill in a Speech in the House of Commons, August 20^th 1940.

          Some months ago we came to the conclusion that the interests of the United States and of the British Empire required that the United States should have facilities for the naval and air defence of the Western Hemisphere against the attack of a Nazi power which might have acquired temporary but lengthy control of a large part of Western Europe and its formidable resources.

          We had, therefore decided spontaneously, and without being asked or offered any inducement, to inform the Government of the United States that we should be glad to place such defence facilities at their disposal by leasing suitable sites in our transatlantic possessions for their greater security against the unmeasured dangers of the future…

          There is, of course no question of transference of sovereignty or of any action being taken without the consent or against the wishers of the various Colonies concerned, but for our part H.M. Government is entirely willing to accord defence facilities to the United States on a 99 years leasehold basis, and we feel sure that our interests no less than theirs and in the interest of the Colonies themselves and of Canada and Newfoundland, will be served thereby…

Marques of London, British Ambassador to the United States  to Mr Cordell, Hull , Secretary of State September 2^nd

Sir , I have the honour, under instructions from his Majesty’s  Principal Secretary  of State  for Foreign  Affairs, to inform you that in view of the basis of friendship and sympathetic interest of his Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom in the national security of the United States and their desire to strengthen the ability of the United States to cooperate effectively with other nations of the Americas in defence of the Western Hemisphere his Majesty’s Government will secure the grant to the Government of the United States , freely  and without consideration of the lease for immediate establishment and use of naval and air bases and facilities for the entrance thereto and operation and protection thereof, on the Avalon Peninsula  and on the southern coast of Newfoundland , and on the East coast and on the Great Bay of Bermuda.

Furthermore, in view of the above and in view of the desire of the United States to acquire additional Air and Naval bases in the Caribbean and in British Guiana, and without endeavouring to place a monetary or commercial value upon the many tangible and intangible rights and properties involved, his Majesty’s Government will make available to the United States for immediate establishment and use of Naval and Air bases and facilities for entrance thereto and operation and protection thereof , on the Eastern  side of the Bahamas, the Southern coast of Jamaica, the Western coast of St Lucia , the West coast of Trinidad in the Gulf of Paria, in the Island of Antigua , and in the British Guiana within 50 miles of Georgetown in exchange for Naval and Military equipment and material which the United States will transfer to his Majesty’s Government…

All of the bases and facilities referred to in preceding paragraphs will be leased to the United States for a period of 99 years, free from all rent and charges other than such compensation to be mutually agreed on to be paid by the United States in order to compensate the owners of private property for the loss by expropriation or damage arising out of the establishment of the bases and facilities in question.

His Majesty’s Government in the leases to be agreed upon will grant to the United States for the period of the leases all the rights, power and authority within the bases leases, and within the limits of territorial waters and air spaces adjacent or in the vicinity of such bases, necessary to provide access to and defence of such bases and appropriate provisions for their control.

Without prejudice to the above mentioned rights of the United States authorities and their jurisdiction within the leased area, the adjustment and reconciliation between the jurisdictions of the authorities of the territories in which those areas are situated shall be determined by common agreement.

The exact location and bounds of the aforesaid bases, the necessary seaward, coast and anit aircraft defences, the location of sufficient military garrisons, stores and other necessary auxiliary facilities shall be determined by common agreement.

His Majesty’s Government are prepared to designate immediately experts to meet with the experts of the United States for these purposes.

Mr Cordell Hull to the Marquess of Lothian, September 2^nd

Excellency, I am directed by the President to reply to your Note as follows.

The Government of the United States appreciates the declarations and the generous action of his Majesty’s Government, as contained in your communications, which are destined to enhance the national security of the United States and greatly to strengthen its ability to cooperate effectively with the other nations of the Americas in the defence of the Western Hemisphere.

It therefore gladly accepts the proposals.

The Government of the United States will immediately designate experts to meet with experts designated by his Majesty’s Government to determine upon the exact location of Naval and Airbases mentioned in your communication under acknowledgment.

In consideration of the declarations above quoted, the Government of the United States will immediately transfer to his Majesty’s Government 50 United States Navy Destroyers generally referred to as the 1,200- tons type.

Mr Churchill in a Speech in the House of Commons September 5^th.

The memorable transactions between Great Britain and the United States, which I foreshadowed when I last addressed the House, have now been completed, to the general satisfaction of the British and American peoples, and to the encouragement of our friends all over the world.

It would be a mistake to try to read into the official Notes which have passed more then the documents bear on their face.

The exchanges which have taken place are simply measures of mutual assistance rendered to one another by two friendly nations in a spirit of confidence, sympathy and good will.

These measures are linked together in a formal agreement.

They must be accepted exactly as they stand. Only very ignorant persons would suggest that the transfer of American destroyers to the British flag constitutes the slightest violation of international law, or affects in the smallest degree the non belligerency of the United States.

I have no doubt that Herr Hitler will not like this transference of destroyers, and I have no doubt that he will pay the United States out if ever he gets the chance.

That is why I am very glad that the armed air and naval frontiers of the United States have been advanced along a wide arc into the Atlantic Ocean, and that this will enable them to take danger by the throat while it is still hundreds of miles away from their own land.

The Admiralty tell us that they are very glad to have these 50 destroyers and that they will come in most conveniently to bridge the gap which inevitably intervenes before our considerable wartime programme of new construction comes into service…..