462.00 R 296/2487
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The French Ambassador asked me on his own responsibility and not for his government as to whether the United States had any objection to Americans being appointed by the foreign governments on the expert committee on reparations. I told him that no government had made any inquiry nor had any citizens of the United States made any inquiry as to whether there was any objection; that all I knew about it was what I had seen in the press; that it was the intention of the Allied Powers and Germany to form an organization of experts to re-examine the subject of German reparations; that it was probable that two American experts would be chosen by them if the United States had no objection. I also said that I had received the same information from our embassies but not by reason of any inquiry made by foreign governments. I told him if any such request was made it would receive sympathetic consideration but that I would have to take the matter up with the President.