462.00R296/2846: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Armour) to the Secretary of State
155. Reparation 212. I have received today a letter from the secretary general of the Reparation Commission to the effect that he had been asked by the secretary of the Experts Committee to inform me that the experts of the five creditor powers (France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium and Japan) would like to confer with me tomorrow, April 17th, [sic] and asking me to get in touch with the secretary of the Experts Committee in order to arrange the hour (a similar letter was sent to the representatives on the Reparation Commission of the other powers not represented at the Experts Committee, Servia, Greece, Roumania, Portugal and Poland). Upon receipt of the foregoing I telephoned to the secretary of the Experts Committee and requested further information in the matter. He has now advised me orally “that the experts of the five creditor powers, France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium and Japan, before definitely recommending to the Committee the adoption of the annuities proposed in Annex 8 (see my Reparation 20842) would like to see the representatives [Page 1063] on the Reparation Commission of the powers who are not present at this conference in order to explain to them the basis on which their proposals are made and to request their views.”
[Paraphrase.] I have replied to the secretary general that I would inform my Government of request and would ask for instructions; I added that they probably could not be received as early as tomorrow, but that I would inform him immediately upon hearing from my Government.
Young’s message to you which was transmitted in my Reparation No. 20743 mentioned (see paragraph 3) that subcommittee would be appointed to hear proposals from representatives of all the minor creditor powers who wished to be heard. I now understand that procedure in this regard has been changed. Yesterday at full Committee meeting decision was taken not to appoint such a subcommittee, but that no objection would be made to experts obtaining information informally on position of the other governments. That the experts of the major creditor groups now wish to ascertain views of the other governments is result, apparently, of this decision.
Personally, I do not perceive any objection to your authorizing me to accept this invitation from the experts of the major creditor groups and to confer with them informally. My idea would be to listen to what they have to say regarding provisions they have made for satisfaction of claims of the United States, and then to leave a memorandum with them, without discussion, which sets forth our position. Please instruct. [End paraphrase.]