862i.73/84
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador ( Howard )
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Embassy’s notes No. 213 and No. 302, dated March 31 and May 2, 1927, concerning the transfer of the Yap–Menado cable to the Netherlands Government. It is observed that His Majesty’s Government considers that the Yap–Menado cable should be handed over at once to the Netherlands Government without waiting for the resumption [Page 281] of the work of the First Committee of the Washington Conference of 1920.
I have received a communication dated April 26, 1927, from the Japanese Ambassador at this Capital9 in reply to the note which I forwarded to him on March 15, last, concerning this matter. The Japanese Ambassador states that his Government has not as yet sent a reply to the Netherlands Government and is not able to consent to the claims of that Government, which the Japanese Government believes would eventually necessitate a change in the provisions of the American-Japanese Agreement of 1921 in regard to the former German cables in the Pacific and give rise to various complications relative to the question of their disposition which has already been settled. The Ambassador adds that he is authorized to attend a meeting of the First Committee if it is called.
As replies have not been received to this Government’s notes of March 15 to the diplomatic representatives at Washington of the Governments of France and Italy,10 a further communication is being addressed to them11 setting forth the views expressed in the notes from your Embassy and in the note received from the Japanese Ambassador on this subject and urging them to expedite action with respect to the matter.
Accept [etc.]