Office of the Historian

511.4C1/59

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Marriner)

No. 157
Washington, November 10, 1933.

Sir: With the Department’s instruction No. 132 of April 17, 1930,12 there was sent to the Embassy for deposit with the French Government the President’s instrument of ratification of the convention signed at St. Germain-en-Laye on September 10, 1919, by plenipotentiaries of the United States of America, Belgium, the British Empire, [Page 984] France, Italy, Japan and Portugal, revising the General Act of Berlin of February 26, 1885, and the General Act and Declaration of Brussels of July 2, 1890. The convention was ratified on the part of the United States subject to an understanding recited in the instruction.

The Embassy’s telegram No. 157, May 31, 1930, noon,13 advised the Department that as the above understanding involved the modification of an article of the convention it would be necessary to obtain the acquiescence of the other signatory powers before deposit of the ratification could be accepted.

The Department has from time to time been informed by the Embassy of the acceptance of the understanding by all the signatory governments except the Government of Japan.

The Department is now informed by a despatch from the American Embassy at Tokyo (No. 561, October 21, 1933)13 that by a note addressed to the French Embassy at Tokyo on October 12, 1933, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs notified the French Government that Japan had no particular objection to the acceptance of the understanding.

In view of this you will please inquire of the Foreign Office whether it is now willing to accept the deposit of the instrument of ratification of the convention by the United States. If reply be made in the affirmative,14 you will please make the deposit in accordance with the Department’s instructions No. 132 of April 17, 1930, above mentioned.

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:
William Phillips
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  4. An affirmative reply was received from the Ambassador in Prance in telegram No. 686, September 18, 1934 (511.4C1/63). The ratification of the United States was deposited with the French Government, October 29, 1934, and the convention was proclaimed by the President, November 3, 1934.↩