462.00 R 296/491: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Kellogg) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 12—2:40 p.m.]
339. This morning at a confidential meeting of the Prime Ministers and first delegates, MacDonald asked me if I thought there were any [Page 56] possibility that United States would be represented at a conference on subject of inter-Allied debts. I said that I thought not; that the subject of Allied debts to the United States was one to be dealt with wholly by Congress, and that Congress has passed a bill placing it in hands of a debt commission and fixing terms and conditions of funding these debts. The Prime Minister said that he quite understood the position, and subject was dropped. Allied countries tentatively agreed that they would carry out program agreed upon between MacDonald and Herriot in Paris to have their Finance Ministers first meet and discuss subject and then have Allied conference on subject later. It was also understood that there would be a conference on subject of division of the German payments between the Allied and Associated Powers, which they thought would be held in Paris in October; an earlier date might, however, be agreed upon. I informed everyone present, as I have before, that the United States would be represented at this conference; no objection was raised. …