740.00119 EW/10–1645
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Caffery)
Washington, October 16,
1945.
4814. 1. Invitations sent out yesterday to 14 reparation claimant governments asking attendance at conference Paris Nov 9 to (a) establish Inter-Allied Reparation Agency, (b) reach agreement on reparation shares.63
[Page 1347]2. Up to present time only few responses have been received in Washington to Circular Telegram dated Aug 2864 requesting claimant countries to file reparation claims data.
3. Please approach French Government as host of Nov 9 conference with view to having them:
- a.
- Send reminder to countries which have not yet filed claims, urging them to do so immediately;
- b.
- Request same Governments to bring an adequate number of copies of their claims material to Paris to distribute to all delegations at the conference, preferably in printed form. You should suggest that, if agreeable to the British, the French should make these requests on behalf of the three inviting governments.65
Byrnes
- On October 15 notes had been sent from the Secretary of State to the representatives of the Governments of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, India, Luxembourg, Norway, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Union of South Africa, and Yugoslavia. These notes, not printed, were based substantially on the draft of Note No. II in telegram 10246, October 2, from London, p. 1321, and enclosed copies of a memorandum based on the draft memorandum in telegram 10246 with alterations as indicated in telegram 8821, October 5, to London, p. 1331, and telegram 10475, October 8, from London, not printed.↩
- This telegram, not printed, contained the text of the note of August 28, p. 1268.↩
- Telegram 6161, October 22, 3 p.m., from Paris, reported that the French Government, having obtained British concurrence, had in the name of the three Governments taken the two suggested steps (740.00119 EW/10–2245).↩