662.7131/57: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Sackett) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 8—9:20 a.m.]
51. In private conversation the competent official of the Foreign Office states that although German Government was informed by France of present Franco-British-Italian conversations at Geneva for five-power Danube agreement69 on the basis of preferential duties, Germany has not been invited to participate. Nevertheless Ministerial Director Posse was leaving for Geneva in the hope of being permitted to expound German point of view which insisted upon German inclusion.
Your telegram No. 197, November 16, 1931.70 Same informant stated that in the meantime negotiations were being rushed in the hope of putting German preferential customs agreement promptly into force with Rumania, Hungary and Austria. Russia was about to waive objections and difficulties with Argentina and India had practically been smoothed out.
Informant added that Foreign Office accepted the American attitude as acquiesce [acquiescence?]. When member of Embassy questioned this the Foreign Office official with air of having committed an indiscretion urgently requested if this were not the case that the Embassy refrain from taking up matter with the Department.
My understanding is that German Government considers that having notified American Government of intention and no objection having been interposed, American attitude is juridically equivalent to consent.
- See vol. i, pp. 846 ff.↩
- Not printed.↩