File No. 763.72114/3765
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall)
2410. Department’s 2304, July 17. Request Spanish Embassy, Berlin, urgently by telegraph to inform you of reasons for delay by German Government in setting date for proposed conference, and state that American delegation is ready to sail at short notice but must have 30 days between announcement of date in Washington and opening of conference at Berne.
For your information. American delegates would sail immediately for preliminary conferences with British and French authorities if certain that German Government would fix a date in near future but cannot risk possibility of long delay after reaching Europe. Please use every endeavor to obtain some official expression from German Government which would justify immediate departure of American delegation. Department leaves to your discretion advisability of requesting Swiss Political Department also to intercede for an early decision. Please consult Dresel who has been named as one of the Department’s delegates to the conference.