Report of Cabinet Committee,

Page 88

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

The Multi- later al

Treaty.

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 35 (28), Con- clusion 1.)

1. The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

informed the Cabinet that M. Briand had authorised

the French Legal Adviser, M. Fromageot, to proceed

to Berlin to hold conversations there on the

subject of the proposed Multilateral Treaty with

Herr Gauss, the German Legal Adviser, who had

been unable to proceed to Geneva owing to the

change of Government and the absence of his

Minister for Foreign Affairs from Berlin.

The

proposed conversations were of importance, because

Herr Gauss was understood to have advised the

German Government that they could accept the

latest version of Mr Kellogg's proposals without

any breach of their obligations, whereas Sir Cecil

Hurst and M. Fromageot had advised their

respective Governments that the terms of the

Treaty did not cover their obligations under the

Covenant of the League of Nations and Articles 42

to 44 of the Treaty of Versailles. M. Fromageot,

however, was most reluctant to proceed to Berlin

without Sir Ceoil Hurst. The question on which

Sir Austen Chamberlain wished to consult the

Cabinet was as to whether he should authorise

Sir Cecil Furst to proceed to Berlin. The meeting

would be bound to attract public notice, and it

was necessary to consider what would be the reaction

of such a meeting in the United States of America

and in the Dominions. In this connection Sir Austen

Chamberlain called attention to telegrars (Mr.

Chilton, Washington, June 26th, unnumbered, and

the Secretary of State for External Affairs,

Canada, No.144, of June 30th) indicating that the

Canadian Government thought that we were refraining

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