840.48 Refugees/1247: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:10 p.m.]
29. From Myron Taylor:9 I have been trying before Rublee leaves for Berlin to anticipate, from the procedural standpoint, the developments in connection with a possible agreement with French authorities and the meeting of the Full Committee in London on January 26. Rublee canvassed the situation informally with Sir William Malkin at the Foreign Office yesterday and I should be very grateful if you would give some thought to this matter and telegraph your conclusions to me here, repeating the message to Rublee in Berlin.
We are all agreed that Rublee is going to Berlin for the purpose of exploring with the Germans whether they are willing and are in a position to make a contribution to the work of organizing and financing involuntary emigration, the numbers in various age groups who may or may not be the proper subject of migration, the treatment and support of those who are to remain in Germany, and that when he is satisfied that he has heard their maximum offer he will return to London and prepare his report to the Full Committee or to Malkin believing that Rublee should bring back from Berlin an initialed memorandum stating the views of the German Government so that he may have an authoritative documentary basis for his report.
After Rublee makes his report, the Committee will have to consider whether or not it is prepared to proceed on the basis of the German proposals.
If the Committee is willing to take cognizance of the German proposals and act upon them there will probably have to be a resolution to that effect. We should like to suggest that you take under consideration the form of such a resolution. If and when such a resolution is passed, an exchange of letters might take place between the plenipotentiary of the German Government and the Director, and the Director might inform the German Government of the passage of the resolution and forward a copy. The German Government in acknowledging the Director’s letter could then indicate that it would take such and such action in decree or series of decrees replacing existing acts relating to involuntary emigration.
The Committee may, on the other hand, find that the German proposals as finally analyzed are patently unacceptable and I should appreciate it if you would consider that possibility and advise me [Page 62] what, in your opinion, should in such an event be the action of the officers and the Intergovernmental Committee.
Rublee and Pell10 left for Paris today and will go to Berlin on Monday night arriving Tuesday morning. They have agreed to send me copies of their telegrams to you and I should appreciate it if you would repeat to me any telegrams which you send them. [Myron Taylor.]