883.927/90a
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Herrick)
Sir: The Department refers to its instruction No. 1522 of May 28, 1925,13 enclosing a copy of an instruction of even date to the Embassy in London, regarding the difficulties encountered by certain American archaeological interests in the continuance of their excavation and research work in Egypt as a result of the regulations governing the issuance of excavation permits put into effect in the fall of 1924 by the Egyptian Antiquities Service.
For your further information, the Department transmits, herewith, a copy of an instruction of this date to the Embassy in London14 recapitulating subsequent developments in this matter and directing it to discuss with the British Foreign Office the proposals contained in a draft note which the Department is prepared to direct the American Minister at Cairo to present to the Egyptian Government in the event that no circumstances meanwhile develop which would make desirable any modification of the action proposed. A copy of this draft note, providing, in general, for representations along the lines of those proposed in the Department’s instruction of May 28, 1925, is also enclosed.15
From your despatches Nos. 5389 and 5557 of July 16 and September 23, 1925,16 the Department has been pleased to note that the French Government is prepared to associate itself with the representations which this Government proposes to address to the Egyptian Government in this matter. The Department desires, therefore, that you communicate confidentially a copy of this draft note to the French Foreign Office and state that the American Minister in Cairo [Page 66] has been directed to furnish his French colleague with a copy thereof and that it is hoped that the latter may be authorized either to make representations of a similar character or to support the representations of the American Minister You may add, also, that similar representations are being made to the British Government through the American Embassy in London.
You should report briefly by telegraph the results of the further negotiations which, in accordance with the foregoing instruction, the Department desires you to conduct in this matter with the French Foreign Office.
I am [etc.]