Office of the Historian

462.00 R 296/842: Telegram

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

Paris, January 11, 1925—6 p.m.
[Received 10:15 p.m.]

31. L–309 [from Logan].

1.
Please cable earliest possible moment whether agreement to be drawn up at end of present Conference can be given effect by Executive approval also. Our impression is that this agreement does not require Senate approval, being governed by Wadsworth Agreement precedent.
2.
Tentative draft findings of Conference generally follow arrangement of report of Experts Committee [of] Finance Ministers, see my L–294, December 30.16 [Paraphrase.] There are some disadvantages to our signing an agreement on these lines, in that it commits us tacitly to subjects in which we have no direct concern; but on the other hand our signature together with the signatures of the Allies on one document is easier to effect. [End paraphrase.] Could arrange for preamble of general agreement in effect to state that it was adopted for purpose of fixing the distribution of annuities under the Dawes report.
[Page 140]

[Paraphrase]

If, however, the Department desires, we can arrange to have our settlement included in a separate document to which we and the Allies could subscribe, avoiding in this way the necessity of signing their agreement.

3.
We feel, however, that entire effort this Conference involves exclusively a determination of distribution of annuities flowing from Dawes report, in which we took prominent part and in which our claims to participation have been recognized; as it is attempt to settle reparation question under Treaty of Berlin17 as well as under Treaty of Versailles, best practical results as well as best effect on public opinion generally and on German public opinion especially would be to have one inclusive agreement at this moment. Separate agreement presents the decided disadvantages which have been encountered in the press due to psychological factor resulting from the lack of unity in handling this question of reparation.
4.
Presume final instrument should be signed by all representative members. Herrick, Kellogg, Logan.
Herrick
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Signed Aug. 25, 1921; Foreign Relations, 1921, vol. ii, p. 29.↩