882.01 Foreign Control/816: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 13—9:35 a.m.]
246. From Reber. Department’s telegram No. 150, May 10, 7 p.m. A draft telegram along the lines suggested in the Department’s telegram [Page 796] had been drafted to be sent yesterday to Monrovia when an urgent communication was received from Sottile requesting that the Liberian matter be dealt with as late as possible during the present Council in order to enable him to receive new instructions from his Government. Avenol decided in the circumstances that he would reply to Sottile in a public communication rather than send a telegram to Monrovia prior to the Council’s decision.
In consequence a communiqué was issued last night informing Sottile that his request for postponement of the discussion until Saturday would have to be submitted to the Council. The last paragraph of the communiqué reads as follows:
“It will be remembered that on January 19th last14 the Council, in adopting the conclusions of the report submitted by the Polish representative, declared that should the Plan not be accepted in its entirety and without reservation by its May session, the question should be considered as finally settled.”
I have discussed the question of the escape clause mentioned in the Department’s telegram 148, May 9, 4 p.m. with officials of the Secretariat who are agreeable to insert a provision of this nature in the report to the Council. Final decision is being reserved until informal consultations can be had with the representatives of the powers particularly interested when they arrive in Geneva. [Reber.]