462.00 R 296/422: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Kellogg)
206. Following for the Ambassador and Logan, for their information.
(1) Yesterday afternoon the French and British Chargés d’Affaires communicated to the Secretary the text of the note drawn up by common accord between the French and British Prime Ministers at their Paris meeting for submission to the Allied Governments.40 After reading the note the Secretary stated that it did not call for any reply by him, but that in order to avoid a possible misapprehension he thought that he should call attention to the fact that the Government of the United States could not appoint the representative upon the Reparation Commission without consent of Congress. [Page 51] Although this Government had privilege of appointing a representative under the treaty, the Senate in consenting to the Treaty of Berlin had made reservation that appointment should not be made unless Congress approved. Congress does not convene until December, and it would be wholly impracticable to have such an arrangement as an integral provision of present plans of the Allies. This did not mean, the Secretary explained, that some suitable alternative should not be suggested; and he said he noted that in the identic note it had been stated that if appointment on the Reparation Commission appeared to be impossible, the French and British Governments would recommend that commission call in the General Agent for reparation payments, who should be an American. The French Chargé d’Affaires asked whether that would require consent of Congress. The Secretary said he had merely referred to an official appointment upon the Reparation Commission by the Government of the United States; that reservation did not apply to appointment of Agent for reparation payments under Dawes Plan, and that he had no objection to appointment of an American to this position. Of course if an American were appointed, the Secretary said, he supposed that the Reparation Commission would avail itself of his opinion as far as he was willing to give it; that would be another matter.
The Secretary was emphatic that he was not calling attention to this point to raise any obstacle, but wholly to the contrary, in order that no obstacle be created by misunderstanding of situation on this point.
Please repeat to Ambassador Herrick for his information.
(2) Department assumes that text of the Anglo-French note is available to you. If not, Department will cable it to you.