711.4115A/37

The Secretary of State to the British Chargé ( Chilton )

Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of Sir Esme Howard’s note of March 7, 1928, in which, in accordance with instructions from his Government, he stated that Great Britain was willing to enter upon negotiations at Washington for the purpose of concluding a treaty definitely delimiting the boundary in respect of certain islands on the east coast of Borneo, in conformity with the Agreement of July 10, 1907, between Great Britain and the United States.

In reply I take pleasure in informing you that the President has indicated that he will be prepared to empower, on behalf of the United States in these negotiations, Major General Frank McIntyre, Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs of the War Department, and Mr. Jacob A. Metzger and Mr. John K. Caldwell of the Department of State, who will be ready to enter upon negotiations as soon as may be convenient to your Government after the return from the Philippine Islands of Major General McIntyre, which is expected about December 1, 1928. I shall appreciate having you communicate to me the name of your Government’s negotiator and approximately the time when it will be convenient to proceed with the necessary conversations.59 The exact day and hour may appropriately be arranged informally thereafter.

With reference to the points which appear to your Government to be suitable for discussion, this Government agrees that these points be discussed during the negotiations.

Accept [etc.]

Frank B. Kellogg
  1. In note No. 289, May 21, 1929 (711.4115A/40), the British Ambassador (Howard) informed the Department that these negotiations would be entrusted to him with the assistance of Mr. F. W. Fraser, recently Government Secretary in North Borneo. A convention was signed Jan. 2, 1930 (Department of State Treaty Series No. 856).