890h.927/3
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Herrick)
Sir: The Department refers to its instruction No. 573 of February 19 and to your reply thereto, No. 2928 of March 7, in which you confirm the report that a monopoly for archaeological exploration in Afghanistan has been granted to Professor Auguste Foucher by the Afghan Government.
In view of the statement of the French Government, as reported by you, that it was opposed to monopolies of this character and had so informed Professor Foucher, the Department desires you to bring this matter to the attention of the French Foreign Office in a more formal manner, and to state that the American Government is likewise opposed to the granting of privileges of this nature to the nationals of one country calculated to exclude the nationals of other countries. The Department feels that to allow this would be contrary to the true interests of international scholarship and research, and it therefore considers it essential that American individuals or institutions, in case at some future time they desire to enter the field with the consent of the Afghan authorities, should enjoy an equality of opportunity with the nationals of any other country.
I am [etc.]