383.1124/6
The Chargé in Egypt (Hare) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 1.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction no. 453 of March 18, 1940, concerning the interpretation given by the Egyptian Government to its declaration in respect to deportation included in the Montreux Convention of May 8, 1937, and to enclose a copy of the Legation’s note of April 26, 1940 to the Egyptian Foreign Office advising the Egyptian Government, under instructions from the Department, that the American Government is unable to admit the validity of the interpretation given by the Egyptian Government to its declaration.
In its despatch no. 1993 of February 9, 1940 on this subject, the Legation reported that the British Embassy had advised the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that it was unable to accept the Egyptian Government’s interpretation of its declaration and that it was understood that replies in similar sense were being made by the French and Greek Legations. In the meantime, the Legation has been advised by Count W. F. L. de Bylandt, the Netherland Chargé d’Affaires, that he also was instructed by his Government to oppose the action of the Egyptian Government in this respect. He said that in its initial instructions to him his Government had undertaken to refute one by one the points raised in the Egyptian Foreign Office’s note of September 20, 1939. However, when the Chargé had pointed out to his Government that by so doing grounds might be afforded for endless discussion of the matter, his Government had agreed that a simple statement of refutation was sufficient. As a consequence it is understood that the reply made by the Netherland Legation was essentially similar to that made by this Legation except that it also invited attention to the provisions in Article 4 of the declaration for the setting [Page 510] up of an administrative advisory committee for the purpose of acting upon questions of this kind.
Respectfully yours,