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Historical documents

126 Mr S. M. Bruce, High Commissioner in London, to Mr J. A. Lyons, Prime Minister

Cablegram unnumbered LONDON, 15 February 1938, 4.36 p.m,

MOST SECRET HIMSELF

The Prime Minister most appreciative of your message of 12th
February [1] and asked me to convey to you his sincere thanks.

With his concurrence I am now discussing the position with the
individual United Kingdom Ministers concerned. [2]

BRUCE

1 Document 125. Bruce saw U.K. Prime Minister Chamberlain on 14
February.

2 Bruce had talks with Sir Maurice Hankey (Secretary of the
Committee of Imperial Defence) on 15 February; Sir Thomas Inskip
(Minister for Co-ordination of Defence) on 3 March; Malcolm
MacDonald (Dominions Secretary) on 15 March; Sir Horace Wilson
(Chief Industrial Adviser to U.K. Government) on 21 March; Leslie
Hore-Belisha (Secretary for War) on 28 March; and Sir Robert
McLean (Chairman of Vickers (Aviation) Ltd) on 7 April. In each
case he stressed the urgency of rearmament, particularly with
respect to air defence, and advocated that this should have
priority over financial considerations. See AA : AA1970/556 item
6(1).

[AA : A463, 57/1535]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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