611.629Ruhr/24: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Herrick)

[Paraphrase]

189. Department’s no. 173, April 28, 5 p.m. Your no. 232, May 4, 5 p.m. Department desires you to make another urgent personal effort to obtain a favorable response from the Foreign Office to your recent representations. Should this endeavor prove unsuccessful and if you have on the other hand been able to obtain an extension of the time limit which expired May 1, you are authorized, if you have reason to believe that American interests are in jeopardy, to state to the Foreign Office that, although the Government of the United States reserves its position and continues to believe that the present regulations discriminate against American interests, your Embassy [Page 207] will, nevertheless, issue temporarily some general statement like the following:

“The exportation from the occupied regions of Germany of the merchandise referred to in the accompanying application and other documents desired by (insert name of firm) would be for the benefit of American interests.”

Make it very clear that this is a temporary measure and does not indicate any change in the position taken by this Government, which will issue these certificates only in order to prevent serious losses; and that you are instructed to continue your representations for the removal of the discriminatory regulations.

Inform Department briefly by cable of all details which would be of use to it in notifying American firms interested what necessary formalities are to be followed.

Hughes