574.D1/87f: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Davis)4
774. The Conference Preliminary to the World Wide International Conference on Electrical Communication has been postponed from August 1, 1920 to September 15, 1920. You are instructed to invite the British Government to send representatives to attend this conference in Washington, adding that the French, Italian and Japanese Governments have been asked to send representatives and that this Government does not contemplate inviting any other nations to be represented at the Preliminary Conference. This Government considers it desirable that the status of the former German cables ceded to the Five Principal Allied and Associated Powers by the Peace Treaty be finally determined in this Preliminary Conference before proceeding to the discussion of an agenda for the World Wide International Conference on Electrical Communication. You may also advise the British Government that the Undersecretary of State, the Postmaster General, Admiral Benson and Mr. Walter Rogers have been appointed delegates of the United States to the World Wide International Conference on Electrical Communications and that these delegates will represent the United States in the Preliminary Conference.
The following subjects are tentatively suggested for discussion at the Preliminary Conference:
- 1.
- The disposition of cables renounced by Germany and enumerated in Annex VII Part VIII of the Treaty of Peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany signed at Versailles.
- 2.
- Consideration of ways and means of furthering intercommunication between the countries associated during the war with a view to maintenance of friendly relations.
- 3.
- A general discussion of “all international aspects of communication by land telegraphs, cables, or wireless telegraphy, with a view to providing the entire world with adequate facilities of this nature on a fair and equitable basis”.
- 4.
- A consideration of the Radio EU–F–GB–I protocol of August 25, 1919,5 discussed by military and naval representatives of France, Italy, Great Britain and the United States.
- 5.
- Preparation of agenda and plan of organization for the International Communications Congress to be held in Washington November 15th.
- 6.
- Discussion of question whether meetings should be called of the radio telegraph and the telegraph congresses, or whether they shall be merged with the Main Conference.
It is proposed to open the World Wide International Conference on Electrical Communications in Washington on November 15, 1920. It is desired that the delegates be fully empowered to deal with the above questions and negotiate agreements in reference thereto.