711.5112France/391: Telegram
The Ambassador in Frame (Herrick) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:40 p.m.]
205. Department’s No. 226, July 23, noon. Yesterday evening I talked with Briand, whose opinions are as follows:
As a general thing, the French Government feels that the more original signatories there are to the pact the better, but it realizes that this generalization has certain limits. To be more specific, it thinks that inclusion of Spain as one of the original signatories would be a good thing, and Briand said in passing that the same opinion had already been expressed to him by others, notably by Sir Austen Chamberlain. Although the foregoing represents the French Government’s own particular point of view, it feels, however, that in view of the course the negotiations have taken and in view of the fact that you have issued the invitation to sign the pact, the question of who shall be included as original signatories to it is one for you to decide. The French Government does not wish to do anything which might either inconvenience or embarrass you or which would complicate matters in the least; it fully recognizes that you are the best judge of what can and what cannot be done in this direction with regard to ratification of the pact by the Senate.
Briand also said that instructions had been sent to Claudel to talk with you in the sense of the foregoing.
In regard to Russia, Briand expressed as his personal opinion that if Russia desired to adhere to the pact at some future time he did not see how that could be prevented. As things are now (one factor being the violent campaign of the Russian press against the pact) Russia’s signature at this time would not be [advisable?]. Among other reasons which militate against issuance of invitation to her is likelihood that opportunity would be seized to return an intemperate answer.
Briand stated that he had every reason to believe that, with the exception of Mussolini, every Foreign Minister in Europe would come to Paris to sign the pact. Briand seemed to take for granted that under those conditions the French Government would have the pleasure of receiving you here at end of August; indeed, he said unqualifiedly that you had told Claudel that you would come, under conditions set forth, and that you had spoken of August 25 as date when you would arrive and had suggested August 27 as date for signature of the treaty. It would appear from this that Briand interprets your conversation with Claudel (your telegram No. 221, [Page 128] July 17) as signifying that, as it is impossible ever to get Mussolini out of Italy, his peculiar case does not enter into conditions which you attached to your consent to come to Paris to sign, as those conditions have been met satisfactorily otherwise.