800.51 W 89France/132: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Herrick ) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 18—4:57 p.m.]
336. At lunch day before yesterday with Briand, Caillaux, and others at home of M. Bunau Varilla, owner of Le Matin, the French debt to the United States was discussed at length. Briand stated that he would: (1) Admit publicly indebtedness of France to the United States at public luncheon on July 3; (2) in no way link France’s payments to the United States with receipts from Germany on account of reparation payments; (3) open correspondence with the Government of the United States through Ambassador Daeschner admitting indebtedness of France and asking for information on principal of the debt, its maturity, interest to be charged, and length of moratorium to be granted; (4) send small official commission to the United States armed with sufficient authority to confer with World War Foreign Debt Commission and to conclude negotiations at such time as progress of preliminary negotiations shows conclusively that visit of commission would be successful.
At a luncheon at Bunau Varilla’s on June 9, at which Caillaux and Painlevé were present, the debt question was discussed, and opinions voiced at that time by Painlevé coincide with Briand’s intentions described above.
Caillaux requested Bunau Varilla to intimate to me that he felt no great security in tenure of his present office, but that he thought plans outlined above would be carried out whether he fell or not.
Repeated by mail to American Embassy, London.