711.4112Anti-War/135: Telegram
The Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 3—1:55 p.m.]
155. Department’s 159, June 22, 6 p.m.85 I understand that Tyrrell86 and Sir Esme Howard are preparing British reply to the latest American proposal and that Hurst87 and Fromageot88 are studying legal aspect at Geneva. In this connection I learn that special consideration is being given (1) to article XVI, League of Nations Covenant; (2) to Articles 42, 43 and 44 of the Treaty of Versailles; (3) to a thesis which has been reported advanced by the French for elaboration of a special protocol of interpretation that is to be treated as an annex to the mutilateral pact and is to be signed by the powers signatories to the Locarno treaties as well as by the states adhering to the so-called French neutrality treaties.
I have been reliably informed that Sir Austen Chamberlain has expressed his regret that our latest proposal was presented to him in a final form, for either acceptance or refusal, as possibility was thereby precluded of an informal discussion on a phraseology to reconcile divergent points of view.
Have repeated to Embassies in Paris and Berlin.
- Not printed.↩
- Sir William G. Tyrrell, British Permanent Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩
- Sir Cecil James Harrington Hurst, Legal Adviser of the British Foreign Office.↩
- M. Henri Fromageot, French juridical expert and adviser to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on questions of international law.↩