Dear Lord Cranborne,

I want to thank you for the kind personal note you sent me on your taking over at the Dominions Office.

I assure you that I also shall do everything possible to maintain friendly relations between our two countries. This war unfortunately coming on the unsettled problem of partition has I fear given a set back to the rapid improvement which was taking place. I hope it will be a temporary set back only and that when it is overcome progress even more rapid than before will be made.

I would like to express to you my sincere sympathy with your people in their present sufferings.