| Publication |
2007.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The aim of this article is to consider the approach to, and solution adopted by, Lord Lothian, British Ambassador to Washington, to what President Roosevelt referred to at the end of January 1940 as a "minor crisis" in Anglo-American relations. His prescription reflected a long held Atlanticist belief that saw cooperation between the USA and Great Britain as a guarantor of security, a carefully managed profile, and an understanding of American public opinion. The ambassador's remedy to the 'minor crisis' over US perceptions of British abuse of neutral rights meant utilizing personable relationships with key figures in Washington and explaining British policy in straightforward terms. Crucially also for the resolution of the minor crisis, Lothian was able to articulate that importance of American opinion to those making British foreign policy in London. That his views were heeded in London is testament to his efforts and the pertinence of his prescription, which saw him become the pre-eminent conduit in Anglo-American relations during the first half of 1940
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