462.11 L 5232/400

The Acting Secretary of State to the German Chargé (Leitner)

Sir: Referring to previous exchanges of communications between your Embassy and the Department of State, regarding the work of the Mixed Claims Commission, particularly to your note of July 6, 1933, I am pleased to inform you, as I have done on previous occasions, that this Government, equally with the Government of Germany, is desirous of closing the work at the earliest practicable moment. It is felt, however, that the petition for rehearing in the sabotage cases, now before the Commission, should be disposed of by the Commission in a judicial manner.

With a view to expediting action as much as possible, I have instructed the American Agent to take steps looking to the closing of the work, including the entering of awards in the pending cases on which tentative agreements have been reached, on or about the first of October.

This, of course, will be possible only by the co-operation of your Government, and in the absence of unforeseen events retarding or preventing the taking of testimony now in process of being taken.

I shall be pleased to learn in due course that this will be satisfactory to your Government, it being understood that a separate arrangement will be reached as regards the so-called late claims, which were the subject of a recent communication from this Department to your Embassy.43

Accept [etc.]

William Phillips
  1. Not printed.