574.D1/157: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Wallace) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11 p.m.]
1759. Following are the French delegates to the Preliminary Conference on Communications: Lanel, Minister Plenipotentiary, Chief of Delegation, and De Lapradelle representing Minister for Foreign Affairs; Broin, director of telegraphic exploitation, and Poulaine, Chief of Bureau representing Under Secretariat of State of Posts and Telegraphs; General Ferrié representing Ministry of War; Naval Lieutenant Robin representing Ministry of Marine; Captain Frank representing Under Secretariat of State of Aeronautics.
With the exception of Mr. de Lapradelle who leaves on October 2, the delegation left for New York on the steamship France on the 25th instant.
[Page 131]The delegation is composed of very important officials in their respective ministries who are mostly experts in radio and telegraphic communications and who will be prepared to give authoritative views.
In regard to Department’s 1445, September [3]:9 The chief instructions of the representatives of France are, I gather, that radio telegraphic and land telegraphic conventions should be amalgamated; that Paris and not Washington as planned should be location of the World Conference; and that retention of German submarine cables now controlled by France should be considered. Meeting of Conference in Paris to be urged upon grounds that it was first decided to hold it there in 1914 when the outbreak of the war compelled postponement, that Washington is inconvenient, expensive, and distant (with which the Italians and British will agree), and that the Saint Petersburg telegraphic convention revision of annotations was not signed by America.10