890G.01/303

The Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton) to the Secretary of State

No. 2716

Sir: Referring to the Department’s strictly confidential mailed instruction No. 1045 of January 14, 19323 and cabled instruction No. 75 of February 26, 5 p.m., I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the informal communication which in compliance with the latter was on March 1 left with the Foreign Office in an inquiry as to whether the Government of the United States is correct in assuming that it is to be consulted by the British Government with respect to the conditions under which Iraq is to be administered upon the termination of the “special relations” between that country and Great Britain and a copy of the reply under date of April 1, with enclosures, which has just been received.

It will be observed that the Foreign Office undertakes to “communicate to the United States Government for their information copies of the actual assurances (to be given to the League of Nations by Iraq as a condition precedent to the termination of the mandatory régime as from Iraq’s admission to the League) as soon as it is possible for them to do so.” This would appear to constitute notification after action, rather than acknowledgement of a right to [Page 674] prior consultation regarding the conditions under which Iraq is to be administered upon the cessation of her mandatory relationship with Great Britain, as the assurances in question will presumably define those conditions.

Respectfully yours,

Ray Atherton
[Enclosure 1]

The American First Secretary of Embassy (Cox) to Mr. C. W. Baxter of the Eastern Department, British Foreign Office

Dear Baxter: As I told you today in our conversation, the Department of State is of the opinion that although by the terms of Article 6 of the Tri-partite Convention of January 9, 1930, between the United States, Great Britain and Iraq, the United States waived its right with respect to consultation regarding the termination of the “special relations” between Great Britain and Iraq, it nevertheless retains the right to demand consultation with respect to the conditions under which Iraq is to be administered upon the cessation of the mandatory relationship.

Since the termination of a régime in a mandated territory necessarily involves the “disposition” of the territory and affects the interests of American nationals therein, the right of the United States to be consulted with respect to the conditions under which the territory is subsequently to be administered is on precisely the same basis as its right to be consulted with regard to the establishment of a mandatory régime.

The Department of State has learned of the likelihood that the Council of the League of Nations would not consult the United States in the case of Iraq but would assume that Great Britain as mandatory Power had already done so or would do so and would see that all interests in the Iraq mandate, whether inherent, expressed or implied, were properly considered.

The Department of State has asked the Embassy to inquire of the Foreign Office as to whether the United States Government is correct in assuming that it is to be consulted by the British Government with respect to the conditions under which Iraq is to be administered upon the termination of the “special relations” between that country and Great Britain. I should be grateful if you would let me know the views of the Foreign Office in this matter in order that the Embassy may communicate them to the department of State.

Yours sincerely,

Raymond E. Cox
[Page 675]
[Enclosure 2]

The Head of the Eastern Department, British Foreign Office (Rendel), to the American First Secretary of Embassy (Cox)

No. E 1431/9/93

Dear Cox: In your letter of March 1st to Baxter you raised the question of consultation with the United States Government regarding the conditions under which Iraq is to be administered upon the cessation of her mandatory relationship with Great Britain.

In our opinion Articles 6 and 7 of the Tripartite Convention signed in London on January 9th, 1930, set out quite clearly what the position of the United States is in connexion with the termination of the mandatory régime in Iraq. Article 6 reads as follows:

“No modification of the special relations existing between His Britannic Majesty and His Majesty the King of Iraq, as defined in Article 1 (other than the termination of such special relations as contemplated in Article 7 of the present Convention) shall make any change in the rights of the United States as defined in this Convention, unless such change has been assented to by the Government of the United States.”

Under this Article the assent of the United States is required before the rights of the United States, as defined in the Convention, can be affected by any modification in the special relations existing between His Britannic Majesty and His Majesty the King of Iraq, but the termination of these special relations, which is the case now under consideration, is expressly excepted from the provisions of this Article, and dealt with in Article 7.

Paragraph 1 of Article 7 then provides that the termination of these special relations shall cause the Convention of 1930 to cease to have any effect, and the second paragraph lays down what is to be the position when this event happens. Paragraph 2 of Article 7 reads as follows:—

“On the termination of the said special relations, negotiations shall be entered into between the United States and Iraq for the conclusion of a treaty in regard to their future relations and the rights of the nationals of each country in the territories of the other. Pending the conclusion of such an agreement, the nationals, vessels, goods and aircraft of the United States and all goods in transit across Iraq, originating in or destined for the United States, shall receive in Iraq the most-favoured-nation treatment; provided that the benefit of this provision cannot be claimed in respect of any matter in regard to which the nationals, vessels, goods and aircraft of Iraq, and all goods in transit across the United States, originating in or destined for Iraq, do not receive in the United States the most-favoured-nation treatment, it being understood that Iraq shall not be entitled to claim [Page 676] the treatment which is accorded by the United States to the commerce of Cuba under the provisions of the Commercial Convention concluded by the United States and Cuba on the 11th day of December, 1902,5 or any other commercial convention which may hereafter be concluded by the United States with Cuba or to the commerce of the United States with any of its dependencies and the Panama Canal Zone under existing or future laws, and that the United States shall not be entitled to claim any special treatment which may be accorded by Iraq to the nationals or commerce of neighbouring States exclusively.”

To put it shortly, it provides for two things, (a) for the commencement of negotiations between the United States and Iraq for the conclusion of a treaty in regard to their future relations, and the rights of the nationals of each country in the territory of the other, and (b) subject to certain conditions, for the grant of most-favourednation treatment in Iraq to the nationals, vessels, goods and aircraft of the United States, pending the conclusion of such agreement. While, therefore, it appears that the rights of the United States in this eventuality are fully defined and safeguarded by the provisions of Article 7 of the Convention, and that these provisions do not confer on the United States any rights to be consulted as to the obligations which the League of Nations may require Iraq to undertake as conditions of the termination of the mandatory régime, and of her election as a member of the League of Nations, I am authorized by the Secretary of State to let you know that His Majesty’s Government will be happy to keep the United States Government informed of the progress of events in regard to the termination of the mandatory régime in Iraq. Let me first explain exactly what is at present under consideration. It was the belief of His Majesty’s Government that the mandatory régime would automatically terminate with the admission of Iraq to membership of the League of Nations. They regard present conditions in Iraq as justifying the termination of the mandatory régime and have therefore declared their intention of supporting her candidature for membership of the League at the Assembly of the League in September next.6 The Council of the League have ruled, however, that, before the candidature of Iraq for membership can be considered by the Assembly, it is for the Council to decide whether the mandatory régime can in fact be terminated. To assist it in coming to this decision, it asked the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League to advise, first as to the conditions which [Page 677] must in general be fulfilled before a mandatory régime can be brought to an end, and afterwards as to the application of those general conditions to the special case of Iraq.7 On the basis of the reports by the Permanent Mandates Commission8 the Council on January 28th last declared itself in principle prepared to pronounce the termination of the mandatory régime as from the date of Iraq’s admission to the League, provided that Iraq first gave certain assurances.9 The purpose of these assurances is solely to discharge the responsibilities of the League, as trustee, towards racial, linguistic and religious minorities in Iraq and towards legitimate foreign interests in the country. They are still in process of elaboration by direct negotiation between the Council of the League and the Government of Iraq on the basis of the reports of the Permanent Mandates Commission to which I have already referred. Copies of those reports together with a copy of the Resolution adopted by the Council of the League on January 28th last are enclosed herein, and His Majesty’s Government will be glad to communicate to the United States Government for their information copies of the actual assurances as soon as it is possible for them to do so.

Your Government are already aware of the terms of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of Alliance which was signed on June 30th, 1930 and of which a copy as published in the Treaty Series (Cmd. 3797) was communicated to your Embassy on March 2nd, 1931. The Treaty will of course only enter into force when once Iraq has become a member of the League of Nations.

Yours sincerely,

G. W. Rendel
  1. Not printed.
  2. Foreign Relations, 1903, p. 375.
  3. The British Government on November 4, 1929, advised the Council of its intention to recommend the admission of Iraq to the League in 1932; see League of Nations, Official Journal, February 1930, p. 74.
  4. See par. 6 of the Council resolution of January 13, 1930, ibid., p. 77.
  5. League of Nations, Permanent Mandates Commission, Minutes of the Twentieth Session, June 9-27, 1931, pp. 12, 13, 113, 149, 177, 189; see also ibid., Minutes of the Twenty-first Session, p. 221.
  6. See League of Nations, Official Journal, March 1932, p. 471; for text of the Council resolution of January 28, see ibid., p. 474.