Office of the Historian

512.4B3/5

The Egyptian Legation to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

On the initiative of the Egyptian Government, the French Government, as depository of the International Sanitary Treaty which was signed in Paris on the 21st June, 1926,1 is proceeding to convene an International Congress to be held during the month of October, 1938.

The object of this International Congress will be the modification of the above-mentioned Treaty by the abolition of the Maritime Sanitary and Quarantine Council, and the incorporation of the agreement reached in a Protocol to be annexed to the International Treaty of 1926.

There is no reason for the existence of this Maritime Sanitary and Quarantine Council since the abolition of capitulations,2 and in addition its maintenance is in flagrant conflict with the sovereignty of Egypt and constitutes a blow to her dignity because of the existence in Egypt of a highly developed system of national sanitary administration, which handles all sanitary questions in a most satisfactory and perfect manner. Moreover, this double function causes delay in the promptitude of dealing with sanitary questions and disturbs the harmony of measures taken in this field.

It is the intention of the Egyptian Government to deal with the effects of the abolition of the Sanitary Council, so far as the present officials and staff are concerned, in the most reasonable and generous manner, maintaining some of them in her service in order to benefit by their experience and compensating others who wish to resign.

In view of the traditional friendship between Egypt and the United States, and the cordial attitude and most amicable support which the Government of the United States has shown towards Egypt on several occasions at International Congresses, the Egyptian Government feels sure that the invitation which will be forwarded by the French Government will be accepted by the United States, and that her point of [Page 961] view will be supported by the Government of the United States as usual.

Attached hereto is a summary3 of the basis of action of the Egyptian Government at the Congress.

Washington , 14 September, 1938.
  1. Foreign Relations, 1926, vol. i, p. 177.↩
  2. See ibid., 1937, vol. ii, pp. 615 ff.↩
  3. Not printed.↩