500.C114/490
The Chargé in Switzerland (Winslow) to the Secretary of
State
Berne, March 31,
1926.
[Received April 13.]
No. 792
Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 74, of
March 31, 11 a.m.,17
relating to American adherence to the Protocol of Signature of the
Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice, I have the
honor to enclose the original communication, dated March 29, 1926,
addressed to the Secretary of State by Sir Eric Drummond, Secretary
General of the League of Nations, inviting the Government of the United
States to send a delegation to meet in Geneva, on September 1, 1926,
with delegations of the governments of the States actually signatories
of the Protocol, for the purpose of discussing “any questions which it
may be proper for them to discuss in this connection and for the purpose
of framing any new agreement which may be found necessary to give effect
to the special conditions on which the United States are prepared to
adhere to the Protocol”.
The enclosure to Sir Eric’s communication, namely, an extract from the
minutes of the seventh meeting of the thirty-ninth session of the
Council of the League, held at Geneva on March 18th, containing the
statement of Sir Austen Chamberlain, British representative on the
Council, which was adopted by that body on that date and which embodies
the proposal for the conference in question, is also transmitted
herewith.17 There is
moreover enclosed a copy of the communication addressed by the Secretary
General, under date of March 29, 1926, to the governments adhering to
the Protocol, inviting them to send delegations to Geneva for the
purpose above indicated.17
The communication addressed to the Secretary of State, with its
enclosures, was received this morning. As pointed out in my telegram
under reference, Mr. Bullard, an American member of the Secretariat of
the League, telephoned me shortly after its receipt with a
[Page 9]
view to arranging for a
simultaneous release to the press at Washington and Geneva of the text
of this communication. It was agreed at that time that I would take
steps by telegraph to arrange, if possible, that twenty-four hours
notice be given to the Secretariat before release should be made by the
Department. However, about thirty minutes later Mr. Bullard telephoned
again to inform me that he had just learned from Mr. Sharkey, of the
Associated Press, that somehow the text of this invitation had already
been obtained by the Geneva correspondents. He was at the moment unable
to understand how this leak occurred, but said he would endeavor to find
out and accordingly inform me. Mr. Bullard expressed his profound regret
for this slip and requested that I explain it as such to the
Department.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The Secretary General of the League of
Nations (Drummond) to the Secretary of State
Geneva, 29 March,
1926.
21/50215/20002
Sir: I have the honour to refer to your
letter of March 2nd, 1926,18 communicating to me, as Secretary-General of the
League of Nations, the terms of the resolution adopted by the Senate
of the United States of America on January 27th, 1926, with regard
to the eventual adhesion of the United States to the Protocol of
signature of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International
Justice, and informing me that you had addressed a communication to
the representatives of the Governments of the States signatories of
that Protocol enquiring whether they would accept the conditions,
reservations and understandings required by the Senate’s resolution.
As I informed you in my letter of acknowledgement dated March 18th,
1926,19 I
communicated copies of your letter to the Governments of the Members
of the League.
I now take pleasure in informing you that at a meeting of the Council
of the League of Nations held on March 18th, 1926, the British
representative put before the Council, in regard to the subject
dealt with in your letter, a statement and proposals which were
adopted by the Council.
I have the honour to enclose an extract from the Council’s minutes
containing the statement and proposals to which I refer.19
You will observe from this extract that the Council, desirous of
facilitating common action by the signatories of the Protocol in
question with regard to the adhesion of the United States to that
instrument, and after consideration of the technical aspects of the
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subject, has taken a
decision that invitations shall be issued to the Governments of the
States actually signatories of the Protocol and to the Government of
the United States to appoint delegations to meet in Geneva on
September 1st of the current year for the purpose of discussing any
questions which it may be proper for them to discuss in this
connection and for the purpose of framing any new agreement which
may be found necessary to give effect to the special conditions on
which the United States are prepared to adhere to the Protocol.
Under the terms of the Council’s decision the invitation to the
meeting is addressed to the signatory States in their capacity as
such signatories and to the United States of America. I have
conveyed the invitation to the Governments of the former States.
I have now the honour to convey to you the above invitation of the
Council for consideration by your Government and to request that you
will be so good as to Inform me whether your Government will find it
possible to be represented at the meeting in question.
I have [etc.]
