867n.01/232
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Harvey) to the Secretary of
State
London, May 17,
1922.
[Received June 1.]
No. 1314Sir: With reference to the Department’s
telegraphic Instruction No. 134, of May 8, 8 p.m., relative to the
mandate for Palestine, I have the honor to enclose herewith, copies
of my Note, No. 218, dated May 10, 1922,16 based on the
above-mentioned instruction, and of a Note received to-day from the
Foreign Office, dated May 16, 1922, replying thereto.
I have [etc.]
For the Ambassador:
Post
Wheeler
Counselor of
Embassy[Enclosure]
The British Acting Assistant Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs (Oliphant) to the American Ambassador (Harvey)
[London,] 16 May, 1922.
No. E 4860/78/65Your Excellency: With reference to your
note of the 10th instant regarding the Palestine Mandate, I have
the honour to convey to Your Excellency the appreciation felt by
His Majesty’s Government of the friendly manner in which the
Government of the United States has collaborated with them in
their efforts to secure an early settlement of this
question.
- 2.
- In view of the desire expressed by the Government of the
United States, His Majesty’s Government agree that article 8
of the draft mandate should be modified and they agree that
any amendment of article 28 is consequently
unnecessary.
- 3.
- In view, however, of the intimation contained in the note
which you addressed to me on the 5th April17 that the modification or
suspension of American capitulatory rights in Palestine
could, if circumstances then justified it, readily be made
the subject of a suitable agreement, I suggest that it would
be convenient to add to the text of article 8 as now
proposed by the Government of the United States the words
“unless the powers whose nationals were entitled on August
1st 1914 to such rights should agree or have agreed by
treaty to their suspension or modification.” This wording
has been communicated to the British representative on the
Council of the League, and it is hoped that the Council will
be prepared to accept it.
- 4.
- His Majesty’s Government have taken note of the desire of
the Department of State that the correspondence which has
passed on this subject should not be made public and have
instructed their representative on the Council
accordingly.
- 5.
- I shall not fail to address a communication to you
regarding the negotiation of the treaty as soon as the
Council of the League of Nations shall have approved the
terms of the mandate.
I have [etc.]
