700.0011 R 34/2
Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Conversation with the French Ambassador (Jusserand), December 21, 1922
The French Ambassador said that he had received a telegram from M. Poincaré, who expressed his very cordial appreciation at the kindness of the Secretary in making the informal suggestion which the Ambassador had communicated. He wished particularly to express his grateful appreciation of what the Secretary had said as to his friendship for France.
The Ambassador did not read the telegram to the Secretary but held it in his hand and referred to it saying that the next point made by M. Poincaré was that before taking up such a suggestion as that made by the Secretary for an impartial body of experts selected from the various powers to take up the subject it was deemed to be necessary to exhaust the opportunities that the French Government had of securing agreement with the other Governments.
The Ambassador here interjected to say that there seemed to be some misunderstanding of his telegram to M. Poincaré, although he tried to make it very clear; that the Ambassador had not intended to suggest, as M. Poincaré seemed to imply, that such an international commission would decide the matter for France and bind the French Government but that it would act in an advisory capacity; that it would elicit facts and make its recommendations to the Governments leaving them free to take action.
The Secretary said that this was the understanding; that the report of such a body would be authoritative in the sense that it would be made upon the recommendation of men of high repute in their respective countries, and that it would be impartial and deal with the subject on its merits; that such a report would have the weight to which the men who made it and its character would entitle it; but that, of course, the Governments would still be free to act as Governments in dealing with the governmental questions before them.
The Ambassador repeated that he would make this clear to M. Poincaré by another telegram.
The Ambassador said that M. Poincaré went on to say that the Premiers were having pourparlers upon this very question and were [Page 196] going to resume these on January 2, and that he did not think that any such suggestion could be followed up before that time, and before it was ascertained that it would be impossible for them to arrive at an agreement.
The Secretary said that, of course, this would depend on M. Poincaré’s estimate of the chances of an agreement; that the Secretary would suggest that it might be well to deal with the matter before an actual breakdown of the Conference; that if they met on January 2 and came to an utter disagreement it might be more difficult subsequently to deal with the suggestion.
The Ambassador said that evidently M. Poincaré did not wish to take it up before they had reconvened on January 2 in an endeavor to see what they could do, and, after all, January 2 was not so far away.
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