711.632/101: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Austria ( Stockton )
15. Your 24, March 30, 10 a.m. The Secretary of State has not yet submitted the treaty, reservation or supplemental article to the President for ratification. This Government has construed acceptance of Senate reservation in exchange of notes by Austria and ratification thereof by President of Austria as conditions precedent to effectiveness of advice and consent of Senate to ratification of treaty and to ratification by President of United States. This construction of Senate reservation was adopted in ratification of treaty with Germany, and ratification by legislative bodies and President of Germany were completed before ratification by President of United States and were recited in the ratification by him. See Treaty Series No. 725, page 34.
Department prefers not to depart from order of procedure followed in case of treaty between United States and Germany.
[Paraphrase.] The information given above should not be discussed with the Austrian Foreign Ministry without further instructions from the Department. Should the Foreign Office raise the question of ratification by the President of the United States you might explain the situation to them as if from your own knowledge rather than by Departmental instruction.
The following comments are strictly confidential and for your own use only. In addition to the technical matters of procedure described above, it is not the wish of the Department to expedite ratification here until the Customs Union17 situation is more clear, lest the action be taken in some quarters as bearing upon this Government’s eventual policy with regard to that union. As a consequence, the Department prefers to await whatever action the Austrian President may take in respect to ratification. [End paraphrase.]