500.A4a/162
Jonkheer van Karnebeek, of the Netherlands Delegation, to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: It was most gratifying for me to be assured this afternoon of your readiness to lend your valuable cooperation towards inserting into the general arrangement for the Pacific a formal recognition of the territorial status quo which is also to benefit countries who—like Holland—are no party to the Quadruple Agreement. This is—as I had the honor to say to you—of great importance to my country and I am anxious that the matter should there be rightly understood from the outset. I believe to that end it would be extremely useful if the prospect of the recognition referred to were announced in the very statement you propose to make at the next Plenary Session. Otherwise the impression might possibly at first prevail that Holland is to be the only power with insular possessions in the Far East whose territorial rights will find no explicit recognition at the Washington Conference, an impression which should be avoided.
[Page 30]While taking this opportunity, my dear Mr. Secretary, to convey to you my congratulations on the success of your endeavors, I remain
Sincerely yours,