560.M3/44: Telegram
The Chief of the American Delegation (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 6—11:35 a.m.]
11. Morning meeting. A proposal was brought forward by small drafting committee concerning ratification. It provided:
- (a)
- Ratification must be made by at least 20 states.
- (b)
- Each state notifying ratification before September 30, 1929, might name certain states from following list on whose ratification it makes its own ratification dependent.
- List follows: Germany, Austria, (United States of America), France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, Rumania, Serb-Croat-Slovene State, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Turkey.
In presenting proposal French delegation stated committee had put the United States in parentheses since they realized that this was year of short session of Congress and ratification might be delayed by rush of business. A confused and inconclusive debate followed in which I took no part, as I had previously followed Department’s instructions by stating that we considered it improbable that the United States need be included in the list because we had no prohibitions to abolish. One fact of interest to us came to light. Certain states, notably Germany, insisted that ratification by the United States might be necessary essential prerequisite to their ratification. The German delegate explained that unconditional most-favored-nation clause in American-German bilateral commercial treaty36 would make it essential to give benefits to the United States if Germany ratified irrespective of American ratification.
I propose to take little part in the debate since matter is primarily one of Central European concession. Enlarged subcommittee is now endeavoring to work out another concrete proposal.
- Treaty of Dec. 8, 1923, Foreign Relations, 1923, vol. ii, p. 29.↩