862i.73/64
The British Chargé (Chilton) to the Secretary of State
Sir: Under instructions from His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, I have the honour to inform you that His Majesty’s Government recently received representations from the German Ambassador in London expressing the desire of the German Government that the Yap–Menado cable may be transferred to the Netherlands Government as soon as possible in order to facilitate an early settlement between the German-Netherlands Telegraph Company and its creditors. As you are aware, this transfer was agreed to by the Allied and Associated Powers during the negotiations held in Washington in 1921 but this agreement has not yet been ratified. It is understood that similar representations have been made by the German Government to the United States Government.
[Page 776]Sir Austen Chamberlain25 has requested me to inform you that he has replied to the German Ambassador to the effect that His Majesty’s Government, in so far as they are concerned, desire to raise no objection to the immediate transfer of the cable, provided that the French, Italian, Japanese and United States Governments concur in that course.
The German Government having also approached the French, Italian and Japanese Governments in this matter, His Majesty’s representatives in Paris, Rome and Tokio have been instructed to inform the Governments to which they are accredited of the terms of the reply of His Majesty’s Government.
I have [etc.]
- British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩