Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1925, Volume I

574.D7/116: Telegram

The Chargé in Switzerland (Winslow) to the Secretary of State

Berne, September 24, 1925—3 p.m.
[Received 5:03 p.m.]

121. Department’s 80 September 19, 1 p.m. Director of Radiotelegraph requests information on following points:

1. Should request for proposals be sent to the governments or to their appropriate administrations, the latter procedure having been followed similar previous conferences. He points out that first course would necessitate intermediation of Swiss Government with consequent delay. He assumes that in either case requests for proposals are to be sent to the colonies, protectorates, et cetera, or their appropriate administrations (see enclosure to my despatch 489 August 10)²⁴ of the invited governments.

2. While appreciating inability of the United States to invite Ecuador and Soviet Russia he inquires whether the Department intends to send invitations to Argentine, Persia, Turkey, Iceland and Ireland whose appropriate administrations correspond with the bureau and contribute to the expenses of the radiotelegraph section and whether proposals should be requested from them.

3. Should proposals be requested from certain companies and international radiotelegraph organizations? (If desired I shall telegraph list of those companies and organizations invited to participate and from whom proposals were requested for the present Paris conference as well as others suggested by the section.)

4. As all states contributing to the expenses of the bureau enjoy the right to be furnished with all publications of the bureau he assumes that we would have no objection to forwarding the requests for proposals to uninvited States merely for their information.

5. He inquires whether it is desired that the proposed new international code of signals upon its receipt should be circulated by the bureau and whether requests for proposals relative thereto should also be sent out with a view to their subsequent publication in document embodying all proposals.

6. He points out that although the proposals will be submitted to the bureau by February 1st it would scarcely be possible to have them embodied and circulated in a unique publication before May 31st. This calculation is based on the assumption that publications as in past similar cases are to be only in French. If English copies are also required there would be an additional delay of two months.

Winslow

24. Not printed.