840.515 Gold Bloc/7
Communiqué Issued by Gold Bloc States Following Meetings in Geneva10
“The delegates of Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Switzerland met in Geneva on the 24th and 25th of September, with the object of examining together how their respective countries could most efficaciously help in taking up again in the economic fields an international cooperation, which is unanimously agreed to be necessary.
They declared in the first place that the countries which have maintained the free functioning of the gold standard remain more than ever determined, as was affirmed by the declaration signed at London on the 3rd of July, 1933,11 to maintain it completely at the present [Page 600] gold parities, this maintenance seeming to them to be one of the essential conditions for the economic and financial restoration of the world.
They recognized on the other hand that in order to contribute fully to the work of general recovery, they should take as their common principal object the increase of international trade.
They were of the opinion that such an effort could be usefully undertaken first among those states which, by reason of the contiguity of their territory and the orientation of their activity, as well as their common monetary régime, have among themselves particularly important economic relations.
They wished to emphasize clearly that their initiative was not directed against any other countries. Holding to the project of general effort to fight against the depression, they affirmed their intention to remain in contact with other governments, being anxious to see them associate themselves as soon as possible in this work of recovery.
Desirous of quickly bringing about concrete results, they recognized the usefulness of entrusting to a commission composed of delegates of the respective governments the task of examining the principal problems which the development of economic and financial relations among the six nations presents, without losing sight of the interests of third parties and the necessity of a more extended collaboration on the international plane. The commission might at first devote its work to two essential objects; the increase of trade, and the development of tourism and transportation, the monetary question having already been made the object of an agreement signed at Paris on July 8, 193312 by the governors of the banks of issue of the participating countries. Steps will be taken to hasten its creation and to permit it to begin its activity without delay. Mr. Jaspar,13 its President, has been charged to take the necessary measures immediately.”
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Consul at Geneva in his despatch No. 1027 Political, October 4, 1934; received October 13.↩
- John W. Wheeler-Bennett, Documents on International Affairs, 1933 (London, 1934), p. 45.↩
- Wheeler-Bennett, Documents on International Affairs, 1938, p. 45.↩
- Henri Jaspar, Belgian Minister of Finance.↩