611.6831/35
Memorandum by the Acting Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State (Robbins)
On March 7, (1921) in Executive session, the following agreement with Greece was ratified.11 The agreement, which was for the purpose of modifying the provisions of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation concluded between the two countries on December 22, 1837, so as to continue the said treaty in force until January 26, 1921, and thereafter until a new treaty shall have been concluded or until three months after denunciation by either party, is as follows:
Article I
“It is agreed between the high contracting parties that Article XVII of the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation, concluded between the Government of the United States and the Royal Hellenic Government on December 22, 1837, shall be substituted [sic] by the following:
‘The present treaty shall continue in force until January 26, 1921, and thereafter until a new treaty shall have been concluded to take its place or until three months after one of the high contracting parties shall have announced by a formal notification to the other its intention to terminate it.’
Article II
“The present agreement shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America and by and with the consent of the Senate thereof and by His Majesty the King of the Hellenes, and shall become effective upon the exchange of ratifications, which will take place at Washington as soon as possible.”
On January 7th the Greek Chargé d’Affaires, Mr. Dracopoulos, was informed that the Treaty would expire, apparently, by denunciation, on January 26, 1921, the denunciation having been given by the Greek Government on January 26, 1920, to take effect in twelve months. Mr. Dracopoulos communicated with his Government, and informally advised the Near Eastern Division that no formal withdrawal of the denunciation was considered advisable by [Page 152] his Government, but that in spite of the fact that the treaty would lapse on January 21 [26], 1921, the status would in no way be changed.
The Government of the United States is therefore at present without a treaty of commerce and navigation with the Government of Greece, although for the present it does not seem to be suffering in any way from this absence of a treaty.
The whole matter, it would seem to me, should remain pending until the question of the recognition of King Constantine and his Government is decided upon by the Secretary of State and the President.
- For previous correspondence concerning the agreement of Oct. 18, 1920, see Foreign Relations, 1920, vol. ii, pp. 710 ff.↩