560.M3/40: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chief of the American Delegation ( Wilson )

[Paraphrase]

1. (1) The address which you proposed in your telegram No. 2, of July 2, 5 p.m., is approved.

(2) The Department desires, if you make this address, that you follow it up with the utmost vigor and that you urge, unless you know of some reason to the contrary, a positive expression by the Conference that it considers restrictions such as those of France on the subject of exhibiting foreign films, to be contrary to the intent of the convention of November 8, 1927, and, in fact, in contravention of it. If encouragement is given you and the agenda of the Conference permits, you should take under advisement the offering of a protocol or of a declaration such as outlined above, which instrument would be signed by the states parties to the convention itself. Department approves your telegraphing the text of such a declaration should you consider at any time that the probability of success warrants placing it before the Conference.

(3) Should there be slight prospect of the adoption by the Conference of such an instrument as that outlined above, or even of a nonbinding resolution, you should naturally undertake to prevent any expression on the part of the Conference on the subject of film restrictions. …

Castle