20 August 1957: No Reply Needed

Debate continues regarding the response to the US note and opinion is divided between issuing another note in response and just leaving it at the official statement. While John Wendell Holmes, Assistant Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs, recommends that a response is necessary in order to make it clear “that we are [accepting the note] because we trust and reply on such assurances as they have now given us, and not because we consider that these assurances are the ones we sought.” The issue is left for Diefenbaker to decide.