800.6363/173
The Chargé in France (
Harrison
) to the Secretary of
State
Paris
,
August 13,
1920
.
[Received August 25.]
No. 1520
Sir: Reference is made to the Department’s
telegram No. 785, of July 26th to London,77 which was repeated to
me by Mr. Davis, giving the text of a Note to be sent to the British
Foreign Office and instructing this Embassy to present to the French
Foreign Office such parts thereof as might be considered advisable.
In compliance with your instructions, I have the honor to report
that on August 8th I took occasion to see Mr. Paléologue, Secretary
General of the Foreign Office, to explain to him unofficially the
position of the American Government with respect to the agreement
made at San Remo between the British and French Governments for the
disposition of petroleum produced in Mesopotamia, which gave to
France preferential treatment in regard thereto. To emphasize my
point, left with him an aide memoire which is
enclosed. Mr. Paléologue promised to give these matters his
immediate attention.
Since the foregoing was drafted I have received your telegraphic
Instruction No. 1362, of August 11, 7 P.M.,78 relative to the
Anglo-French Oil Agreement. I believe that this Instruction is fully
covered by my previous action recited above.
I have [etc.]
[Page 668]
[Enclosure]
The American Chargé (
Harrison
) to the Secretary General of the French Foreign
Office (
Paléologue
)
[
Paris
,]
August 7, 1920
.
Aide Memoire
During the Peace negotiations at Paris leading up to the Treaty
of Versailles, the Government of the United States consistently
took the position that the future peace of the world required
that as a general principle any alien territory which should be
acquired by the Allied Powers pursuant to the Treaties of Peace
with the Central Powers must be held and governed in such a way
as to assure equal treatment in law and in fact to the commerce
of all nations. It was on account of and subject to this
understanding that the United States felt itself able and
willing to agree that the acquisition of certain enemy territory
by the victorious powers would be consistent with the best
interests of the world. The representatives of the principal
Allied Powers in the discussion of the mandate principles and in
the deliberations of the Council of Four expressed in no
indefinite manner their recognition of the justice and
farsightedness of such a principle and agreed to its application
to the mandate over Turkish territory.
The Government of the United States has noted the publication of
an agreement between the British Government and the French
Government making certain provisions for the disposition of
petroleum produced in Mesopotamia and giving to France
preferential treatment in regard thereto—the so-called San Remo
agreement of April 24, 1920.79 It is not clear to the Government of
the United States how such an agreement can be consistent with
the principles of equality of treatment understood and accepted
during the Peace negotiations at Paris. The views of the
Government of the Republic are respectfully solicited.