462.00 R 296/494: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Kellogg) to the Secretary of State
341. This morning I had a private conference with MacDonald. According to his statements the British Treasury objects to French resolution calling a Finance Ministers’ conference on division of German payments on ground that France was trying to get British Government committed to reopening Spa percentages and cutting down Great Britain’s proportion, or to allow priorities to detriment of latter. MacDonald, unlike Snowden, wishes us to be represented at conference of Finance Ministers. MacDonald did not concede payment of our claims, but did concede our right to negotiate at meeting of that sort. I am satisfied, nevertheless, that payment of our general claims will meet opposition from British Treasury unless we can extend both Army costs and general claims over sufficiently long period to make annual payments attractive to Great Britain. In view of fact that the Government of the United States will be included in the Finance Ministers’ conference, Logan and I have [Page 57] thought so far that it would be unwise to furnish the Allied Governments with detailed memorandum on our position.47
Both Logan and I felt that it should be reserved for the negotiation, as our position regarding basis of our claims had already been definitely presented. In any event we shall not furnish a copy of memorandum until after the finance meeting on Thursday. I should like to have the Department’s views on this subject.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .