File No. 763.72/7249

The Acting Secretary of State to the French Ambassador ( Jusserand)2

My Dear Mr. Ambassador: Referring to the communication addressed to you by the Secretary of the Treasury, under date of July 18, 1917,3 which was enclosed to you by Mr. Phillips in his letter of [Page 573] July 19, in which the Secretary of the Treasury suggested the establishment of an Inter-Ally Council in Europe for the execution of the functions therein indicated, and to subsequent communications received under various dates from you and the British, Russian and Italian Ambassadors and the Belgian and Serbian Ministers, to whom a like letter was sent, indicating acceptance by their Governments of the proposal and urging that the United States be represented at the council in at least a consultative capacity, I beg now to inform you, at the request of the Acting Secretary of the Treasury, that the wish of the Governments will be acceded to and that a delegate of the United States to attend the Inter-Ally Council in a consultative capacity will be designated very promptly by or with the approval of the President.

It appears to be a matter of great urgency that the Inter-Ally Council should be constituted very promptly and that it should be effective from the outset; and the Secretary of the Treasury hopes that the European Governments will proceed to formulate a memorandum of the constitution and the function of the Inter-Ally Council on the lines indicated in his letter of July 18, and the replies thereto.

I am [etc.]

Frank L. Polk
  1. The same, mutatis mutandis, on the same date, to the British, Russian, and Italian Ambassadors and the Belgian and Serbian Ministers.
  2. Ante, p. 546.