711.5112/69
The French Ambassador (Jusserand) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Referring to our conversations and to your two letters of June 25th, I beg to state that my Government has empowered me to renew with you our treaty of arbitration and to exchange with you the suggested notes.
The only change recommended is that, in the latter document, the words “providing for the reference of disputes mentioned in the convention to the Permanent court of International Justice”, be replaced by others implying that such disputes “could be referred, etc.”
It seems to my Government that, it would be better for both Governments to reserve to themselves a power of appreciation: for there may occur such cases when it might prove more expedient to have recourse to the suppler procedure of arbitration.
Believe me [etc.]