511.4C1/53
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Edge)
Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of your cabled No. 689, December 2, 3 p.m., in further regard to the matter of the acceptance by signatory Governments of the reservation made by the United States2 in its ratification of the convention of September 10, 1919,3 revising the [Page 979] General Act of Berlin of February 26, 1885,4 and the General Act and Declaration of Brussels of July 2, 1890.5
With reference to that part of your cablegram which relates to Belgium, it is desired that you state to the Minister for Foreign Affairs that the understanding of Belgium that the United States does not by its reservation intend to reserve to its sole decision the choice of the arbitral tribunal in case of litigation to which it might be a party, is in agreement with the attitude of the United States. The United States fully understands that it could not alone determine the arbitral tribunal to which a dispute in which it might be involved, arising under the convention, should be referred, and concedes that the selection of such tribunal under the reservation would be a matter for joint agreement. It is, therefore, hoped that the Government of France will deem Belgium’s statement to be an acceptance of the reservation.
Very truly yours,
- See infra. ↩
- Treaties, Conventions, etc. Between the United States of America and Other Powers, 1910–1928 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1923), vol. iii, p. 3739.↩
- Act regarding Africa; British and Foreign State Papers, vol. lxxvi, p. 4.↩
- Act and declaration relative to African slave trade; British and Foreign State Papers, vol. lxxxii, pp. 55 and 80.↩