868.51 Public Works/99
The Chargé in France ( Gordon ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 9.]
Sir: With reference to the Department’s telegraphic instruction No. 156 of May 15, 2 p.m., which concerns the placing of the Seligman loan under the International Financial Commission at Athens, I have the honor to inform you that an aide-mémoire, dated September 27, has been received from the Foreign Office in reply to a memorandum which was presented on May 17 by the Embassy in compliance with the Department’s above-mentioned instruction.
The Foreign Office states that the Governments represented on the Commission have never had any idea of discriminating to the disadvantage of American finance in the exercise of the rights given to them as members of the International Financial Commission of Athens and that the decisions which they have taken in this capacity were reached after a purely objective study. With regard to the loan of $54,000,000 concluded with the Seligman Bank, the interested Governments have been guided by the principle by which they refused the cooperation of the Commission in the service of the 6% bonds which Greece is to issue for the refugees.
A copy and translation of the aide-mémoire are herewith enclosed.26
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩