Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1937, General, Volume I

711.00 Statement July 16, 1937/84a: Circular telegram

The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Representatives⁸⁴

Washington, August 4, 1937—1 p.m.

Department’s circular telegram July 17, 2 p.m. My statement of July 16 was prepared, not to apply to any one given problem or set of circumstances, but in the hope that if we could obtain a series of messages from all over the world approving the principles of my declaration as the norm for international relations, the cumulative effect upon publication would be enormous and would do much to revitalize and to strengthen international law and international morals.

Thus far we have received a large number of favorable replies and have been given indication that others are being prepared and may soon be expected.

Since it is my intention to make known publicly a world-wide reaffirmation of the principles enunciated in my statement of July 16, at the earliest possible date, it will be difficult to withhold publication of at least a first installment of these replies much longer.

You are requested, therefore, to tell the Foreign Office that it would be a source of disappointment if we could not include a text from the country to which you are accredited in the first publication, which will probably take place within the next few days. Should a text be communicated to you, you are requested to telegraph it to the Department at once. If it is of undue length thus to send please advise.

Hull

84. Sent to the Diplomatic Officers in charge in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Irish Free State, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Siam, Switzerland, Turkey, Union of South Africa, and Yugoslavia; and to the Consular Officers at Sydney and Wellington.