863.51/839
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Treasury (Mellon)
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the Department of State has received a confidential telegram from the American Minister at Vienna reporting that the Austrian Chancellor had officially and urgently asked him to telegraph requesting an early reply to his request reported on pages three and four of the Minister’s despatch No. 1508 of August 30; namely, that the competent law officers of the American Government should investigate in a preliminary way the question as to what action is necessary by the United States to subordinate its existing lien to a contemplated new Austrian Federal loan. The Minister added that in a despatch dated September 20 he was reporting the detailed reasons for the Chancellor’s request which are connected with the meeting of the Control Committee in London on October 11.
A copy of despatch No. 1508 of August 30 is enclosed10a for your information and for such comment as you may care to make. You will note that the Austrian Chancellor’s present request is for an interpretation of the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury under the Joint Resolution of Congress, approved April 6, 1922, authorizing the extension for a period of not to exceed 25 years of the time for the payment of the principal and interest of the debt incurred by Austria for the purchase of flour from the United States Grain Corporation.
I have [etc.]
Assistant Secretary