My McDougall has been in Washington for the past month and has
been putting in some quite useful work. The question I sent him to
Washington on was Wheat [1] and this was the official reason for
his presence there. He has, however, been unofficially in touch
with both the State Department and Wallace's organisation [2] with
regard to reconstruction questions.

As you know the State Department and Wallace's organisation have
not at all times been on the best of terms. McDougall who has
contacts in both has apparently been used to a considerable extent
as an outsider to help in composing these differences.

I enclose herewith a Note which McDougall has sent me entitled
'Progress in the War of Ideas'. The note is of interest as
indicating something of what is in the minds of the Americans. It
originated from a paper which McDougall drafted after discussions
with me here. He took it to America and I have had three revised
drafts of it since he was there. [3] These revised drafts have
been the result of conversations with either the State Department
or Wallace's people.

The final draft, which I am sending you, took shape as a result of
the Vice President reading the Memorandum aloud, and pausing for
comments as he went along, at a private dinner which was attended
by a number of the people concerned with this matter in America.

[4] In view of this it may be taken as giving some indication of
the way their minds are working in Washington.