890d.01/173: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Herrick) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:55 p.m.]
20. Department’s 13, January 12, 3 p.m. It is the contention of the Foreign Office that by the terms of the Syrian mandate any [Page 732] provisions in our convention relative to Syria must be applied to the benefit of all other countries. … Your attitude is thoroughly understood by the French and they appreciate your notifying them that unless our extradition treaty is mentioned in the convention its benefits will only be unilateral. The French, however, believe that the advantage of not having to give such privileges … greatly outweighs this disadvantage, and for this reason they do not wish to have our extradition treaty mentioned.
The only point in our consular convention which raises any difficulty is the right of either Government to appoint consuls to any place that it sees fit. The French fear that … might take advantage of this to appoint consuls in all the little frontier towns, where they might foment trouble. It is therefore proposed by the Foreign Office that the convention remain as at present but that in an official note the French will agree that all the advantages mentioned in your telegram 466 of December 178 will be granted to the United States. The note would mention the rights derived under our consular convention and particular mention would be made of our right to appoint consuls at any place we wish.
Fromageot and Bargeton9 have talked the whole matter over with me and should the suggestion of a covering note from the Foreign Office for any reason not be acceptable to you I am sure they will be glad to adopt any other plan which you might prefer which would meet their objections …
- Foreign Relations, 1923, vol. ii, p. 6.↩
- Assistant Chief of the Asiatic Division, French Foreign Office.↩