763.72119/8217½
The Secretary of State to the French Ambassador (Jusserand)
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I submitted to the President your personal note of November 29th, containing a statement of the earnest desire of your Government that our Commissioners should remain in Paris beyond December 6th; and I have just received a communication from him returning your letter and stating that he “adheres to his original decision in regard to the withdrawing of our American Commissioners.”
I am telegraphing to Mr. Polk the President’s decision and requesting him to advise M. Clemenceau of it.
As I told you on Saturday last, I realize the reasons for your Government’s desire, and regret that other reasons, which are more imperative in my opinion, compel this Government to withdraw from Paris as originally planned. Anything which might affect the ratification of the Peace Treaty by the United States would be most unwise, and I am not alone in the belief that the continuance of our Commissioners at Paris after the Senate’s action at its last session would injuriously affect the plan of campaign to secure ratification at an early date.
I am [etc.]