711.672/58: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Special Mission at Lausanne
150. Referring to Mission’s 357 and 358 of May 23.64 The progress you have made is gratifying to the Department. You are authorized to proceed on the basis of the statement read to the Turkish representative. The proposed communiqué to the press is also approved. The Department is telegraphing to you full powers.65
The Department considers that it will be better hereafter, in referring to the capitulations, to state that the United States consents to the abrogation of the capitulations, rather than to employ the phrase, as read to Mustafa Cherif Bey, that the United States is ready to recognize formally the abolition of the capitulations. If the Turks object strongly to this modified phrasing, the Department may assent to the statement that the United States accepts, insofar as it is concerned, the abrogation of the capitulations, which is the formula contained in Mission’s 338.65a The Department’s previous telegrams have already pointed out that our capitulatory rights can be modified only through a treaty since they have their basis in existing treaties. Insofar as this Government is concerned, therefore, the abrogation of the capitulations becomes effective only when a new treaty with Turkey is ratified.
[Page 1070]The information contained in the above paragraph is intended for your own guidance and comment. At an early date you will receive further instructions from the Department.