861.77 Chinese Eastern/506: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Armour) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 30—12:50 p.m.]
539. Immediately on receiving Department’s 389, November 29, noon, I informed the French Foreign Office of the Japanese Government’s inclusion among the other Governments to which were sent the Department’s suggestions in its telegram 384, November 26, 2 p.m.37 In view of this, the French Foreign Minister requests that his remarks relative to Japan’s omission be ignored and that you consider M. Briand is in agreement in principle with your proposed action and is ready to make a statement such as you outlined. In short, the last two paragraphs in my 535, November 28, noon, are to be disregarded.
The French Foreign Office says it has been besieged by the press here, as well as by American correspondents, who have seen one or two telegrams from Washington which mentioned that negotiations [Page 366] are proceeding—notably a Paris Herald communication, dated Washington, November 28, as follows:38
“The State Department today communicated with the British, Japanese, French, Italian and German Governments on the possible joint action to prevent complications in the Manchurian situation. The contents of the note to the powers have not been divulged but it is believed merely to draw attention to the fact that both Russia and China are signatories to the Kellogg Pact without making any concrete proposal.”
Consequently—and also because of the fact that some French newspapers are taking the position that the Paris Pact is proving to be ineffective in meeting the Sino-Russian situation—the French Foreign Office would like to know if you do not consider the situation now calls for a statement being made to the press, even if it is only to the effect that negotiations are proceeding among certain powers signatory to the Paris Pact, with the object of finding a solution for the problem.
The Foreign Office, meanwhile, assures me that the request in paragraph (9) of your 384 is being respected.