500.C114/490

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

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.]

Alan F. Winslow
[Enclosure]

The Secretary General of the League of Nations (Drummond) to the Secretary of State

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 [Page 10] 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.]

Eric Drummond
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  4. Ante, p. 5.
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