First, the cover letter from Hayden Raynor, Undersecretary Edward Stettinius’s assistant. He writes that the WRB will get a copy of this cable but because it’s important, he’s sending an advance copy by messenger and would like advice about the reply.  This alone shows a massive shift—the State Department is being helpful and asks for advice regarding a reply.  A mere month earlier, that would have been pretty much unheard of (though Stettinius’s office was never the problem).

The British respond to the creation of the WRB. They’re not going to make their own Board since they have a Cabinet committee, but will express sympathy.  Fine. Their committee’s pretty useless and they haven’t even publicly admitted they have it. But fine. Sure.

The second page of the British telegram (the one Raynor wants to rush over to the WRB) is rather benign foreshadowing of British response to pretty much everything.  They are concerned that people are interpreting the WRB’s policy to “rescue victims” in conjunction with Secretary of War Henry Stimson’s position on the Board to mean that the US would consider using military means to rescue people.  That clearly can’t be right, so they would like public clarification.

One thing you kinda have to know about this whole story is that the British do not come off well.

It doesn’t get better.