Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1924, Volume I

875.927/7

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

Paris, April 2, 1924.
[Received April 12.]

No. 4078

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s Instruction No. 869 of February 26, 1924, (File No. 875.927/5), and to previous correspondence in regard to a monopolistic concession for archaeological exploration in Afghanistan reported to have been granted to Professor Auguste Foucher by the Afghan Government, to the protest made by the President of the Archaeological Institute of America on behalf of the Institute and of several of the larger museums of the United States against this concession and against a concession for archaeological excavation granted by Albania.

In reply, I beg leave to inform the Department that I did not fail to address myself to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on the subject. In reply, I am in receipt of two Notes, one dated March 27th in regard to the concession for archaeological exploration in Afghanistan³⁵ and one dated March 28th in regard to the concession granted to the French Government by Albania.

It will be noted that the French Government is in agreement with the United States on the question of the concession in Afghanistan, but that, owing to the difficulty in amending or changing the agreement, it is considered advisable to leave the concession as it is. It is stated that the French Government is anxious for American archaeologists to make excavations in those localities where the French will not have explored.

In regard to the concession granted by Albania, the statement of the Foreign Office will be noted that exclusive privileges have been granted only in certain districts which are very few and closely defined.

I have [etc.]

Myron T. Herrick

[Enclosure—Translation]

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy

[Paris,] March 28, 1924.

In its note of the 18th of this month, the Embassy of the United States was good enough to call the attention of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to a protest made by the President of the Archaeological Institute of America, in behalf of that Organization and of a great many American Museums, against the concession of a monopoly for archaeological excavations in Albania, granted recently to the French Government by the Albanian Government.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United States of America that the Franco-Albanian Convention in question, relative to excavations, does not cover all the Albanian territory. It provides only for the exclusive privilege of excavations in favor of the Government of the Republic, in certain districts which are very few and exactly delimited.³⁶

35. Not printed.
36. The Department made no further representations regarding archeological exploration in Albania and Afghanistan.