462.00 R 296/262
The British Ambassador (Howard) to the Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honour, under instructions from His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to inform you that the reports of the Expert Committees of the Reparation Commission which have, as you are aware, been made public during the last few days, have in accordance with the usual custom been laid before; the British Parliament. His Majesty’s Government anticipate that before the Easter recess they will be called upon to make to Parliament a statement of their views on these Reports, and it is their desire that the Governments severally concerned should be made acquainted beforehand with their attitude.
In these circumstances I have the honour to inform you that at an early date the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs intends to express the satisfaction felt by His Majesty’s Government that the report is unanimous, and that it has been signed by representative experts from the United States, France, Italy and Belgium, as well as from Great Britain. He will say that His Majesty’s Government feel that a report, supported by such authority, must command general assent, and that there will be a universal desire to use the [Page 12] opportunity, afforded by so authoritative a report, to end the unsettlement which now exists.
Mr. Ramsay MacDonald will then point to one feature which His Majesty’s Government consider deserves special emphasis, namely, that it is boldly stated in the report that it is an indivisible whole, and that the signatories of the report renounce in the strongest terms all responsibility therefor, if certain of their recommendations are adopted, and others rejected. While therefore in some respects the proposals may be capable of improvement, His Majesty’s Government attach so much importance to the agreed recommendations, which can be brought into immediate operation, that they for their part will be prepared to support the scheme in its entirety, provided that all the other parties concerned are willing to take the same course, agreeing to give the experiment a real chance and waiting to make any modifications which may appear necessary, until experience has been acquired and then only by common agreement.
In communicating to you this brief summary of the attitude of His Majesty’s Government towards the Experts Committees reports, I have the honour to inform you that it is also being brought to the notice of the Governments of France, Belgium, Italy, Japan and Germany by His Majesty’s representatives in those countries.
I have [etc.]