711.672/558: Telegram
The High Commissioner in Turkey (Bristol) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 11—9:15 a.m.]
11. My telegram No. 9, dated February 7, 6 p.m. This evening I met Tewfik Rouschdy Bey. He did not present a draft text himself, but [accepted?] in principle my draft with the suggestion that the following changes be made:
Article 1. In the first sentence change “reestablish” to read “establish”. Modification recommended.
Article 2, paragraph (b). In the first sentence, beginning with the word “ratified” and ending with the word “Congress”, change to read, “ratified by the United States Senate and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on or before June 1, 1928”. Add as a concluding sentence:
“It being understood that in the event the Turkish-American treaty is ratified before June 1, 1928, article 31, thereof, shall be modified to read that the nonpermanent articles of that treaty will expire on the same date as corresponding articles of the allied treaties of Lausanne.”
The modifications recommended in paragraph (c) were unimportant changes in wording.
Article 3 is to be discussed and made the subject of a separate note to be signed and to go into effect concurrently with this note. The separate note would provide for the preservation of the status quo for 1 year from the date of signing. At the end of this term the note would automatically continue for a further period of 3 months unless in the interim the Lausanne Treaty should have been ratified, or unless by mutual agreement the note should have been modified, or unless one of the contracting parties should have been asked for a reconsideration of its provisions. The Foreign Minister desires this change because such a provision requires the approval of the Grand National Assembly, whereas the other provisions of this note do not need to be submitted to the plenary session.
[Page 792]Article 4 is to be changed commencing with the thirty-ninth word of the first sentence, “article”, and continuing through to complete the article
“the principles enumerated in articles 1 and 2 of this note together with the essential provisions of the Turkish-American treaty signed at Lausanne August 6, 1923, and its annexes shall [constitute?] the basis for the law [treatment?] which on condition of reciprocity shall be accorded nationals of Turkey in the United States and nationals of the United States in Turkey.”
Modification is recommended.
In place of our article 5, which we did not discuss, I recommend the following:
“The present agreement shall become effective on the day of signature.”
For the preamble of this note I recommend the following:
“Excellency: I have the honor to make the following statement of my understanding [of the] agreement reached through recent conversations at Angora on behalf of the Government of the United States and the Government of Turkey with reference to the regularization of relations between the United States and Turkey.”
February 12 we shall meet to agree on the final text which I shall immediately telegraph to the Department. In the meantime it is recommended (1) that the Department approve the text as amended; (2) that I be [authorized?] to sign the French translation of this text; (3) that the Department immediately telegraph full powers for I think we should act quickly.
- Quotations not paraphrased.↩