560.M3/29: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland ( Wilson ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:10 p.m.]
57. My despatch 317, February 29, private letter to Young May 11 and 435, May 15.18
There are increasing signs of tendency on the part of other states to await result of July conference as applied to French letter of January 27 concerning films19 and to base their action thereon. I respectfully suggest that you may desire to instruct me to keep our record clear by some statement in July conference, possibly to include following:
That French letter states Government does not believe action violates convention:
That we hope this is so but that powers of censor board are so large that only experience can show what application will be;
[Page 373]That we fear a violation of spirit if not of letter;
That conference has not material and time for detailed study and therefore is not competent to pass on what constitutes a technical violation but that we do not wish our silence to be construed as acquiescence in French plan or in other plans which may follow the French lead;
That we therefore reserve our right of diplomatic or arbitral recourse in the future if the need arises.