711.622/28: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Germany ( Houghton )
92. Merely for your information.
Your 192 November l.2 In some manner unknown to the Department a copy of the proposed German-American treaty has been furnished from Berlin to an organization calling itself Chamber of German-American Commerce, Inc., with an office in New York. This organization has given the text of the treaty full publicity which, naturally, creates a most unfavorable impression in the United States. The German Ambassador saw the Secretary on November 28 and expressed his great regret that the text had been made public. He said he believed there were only a few points of difference between the American and German wishes with regard to the treaty, and that possibly an early signature might be arranged. The Secretary said that it would help matters if the treaty could be signed at once; that we were in an embarrassing position, as we did not wish to be uncandid in answering inquiries of which there are many in consequence of the premature publication and that it might be necessary for this reason to withdraw the treaty. The Ambassador will come to the Department today to go over the few points which have to be considered with the Solicitor of the Department, and if an agreement can be reached, he will cable his Government for authority to sign immediately. If it proves possible to agree fully, the Ambassador will be requested to ask his Government to give you immediately a copy of his authorization to sign on behalf of the German Government and you should immediately cable to the Department the text of this authorization.
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