881.00/8–1745: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Caffery ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 17—5:54 p.m.]
4977. From Villard. British proposed yesterday that the Conference powers adopt a resolution as follows:
“No commercial wireless stations shall be established or permitted to operate during the provisional regime.”
This was accepted in principle by the Soviet and French delegations but we made a reservation and requested time to refer the question to Washington.
The Dept may wish to consider an alternative proposal that the powers agree to abide by such regulations as may be formulated by the Committee of Control concerning only the operating regulations of commercial broadcasting leaving US complete freedom to install and operate a commercial wireless telegraph station in the Tangier Zone.
A second alternative would be for us to make known to the Conference the willingness of the American Govt to examine sympathetically any proposals for the regulation of broadcasting with a view to making such regulations applicable to American ressortissants in the Tangier Zone under the reservation of the United States existing liberty to install and operate a commercial radio telegraph station this period.
[Page 635]Plakias61 has been consulted and concurs, subject to De Wolf’s62 approval.
Dept’s instructions urgently requested. [Villard.]