711.5412A/35

The Secretary of State to the Swiss Minister (Peter)

My Dear Mr. Minister: Referring further to your note of February 2, 1931, in regard to the Treaty of Arbitration and Conciliation between the United States and Switzerland, which was signed on February 16, 1931, I have given attention to your statement that your Government informs you that it shares the opinion expressed in this Government’s letter of June 21, 1930, concerning the advantage of leaving to the contracting parties the liberty of deciding, for each conflict of a juridical character, whether they wish to submit it first [Page 1026] to the Commission of Conciliation, or prefer resorting immediately to the Tribunal of Arbitration. You add:

“But aside from this optional and preliminary use of the Commission of Conciliation for conflicts of a juridical character, contemplated in Article V, it is well understood, that for all conflicts not of a juridical character, or that would be excluded from arbitration by virtue of Article VI of the treaty, recourse to the Commission of Conciliation would be obligatory in all cases, in conformity with Article II.”

I am happy to inform you that I concur in your interpretation of the treaty as thus set forth.

I am [etc.]

Henry L. Stimson