500.A15a3/1208: Telegram
The Chargé in France ( Armour ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 28—4:30 p.m.]
345. From Gibson. Wilson and I, following Tardieu’s suggestion, today went over the naval question with Massigli. Evidently he was pleased with the possibility of an agreement; he urged me to tell the Italian Government that the French were ready and anxious to resume conversations at any moment. He said the French had been prevented from resuming conversations themselves by the Fascist Grand Council’s resolution.
Massigli informed us further that he had called on the British Ambassador this morning in order to discuss an arrangement concerning tonnage levels in auxiliary vessels and he hoped that a solution might be arrived at with the British along lines somewhat as follows:
- (a)
- In addition to the seven 8-inch-gun cruisers she already possesses, France should have “the right to build” a further cruiser of this type to replace the Edgar Quinet, it being his idea that should it be possible to persuade Italy not to duplicate this new vessel the combined Franco-Italian force would remain within the limits of the present two-power standard of the British.
- (b)
- No difficulties existed with regard to destroyers.
- (c)
- While the submarine question presented more difficulties, Massigli hoped that a solution might be found by slowing up replacements in order to achieve a gradual decrease in French strength in [Page 160] this category thus putting Great Britain in 1936 in a better relative position.
These figures, for the first time, seem to us to offer definite hope that an all-round agreement might be reached.
Massigli repeatedly emphasized in the course of our conversations the earnest desire of the French Government to solve this troublesome problem. He thereby confirmed the remark of Tardieu, which I omitted in my telegram No. 341 yesterday, to the effect that really vital problems beset him to such an extent that he would be the first to welcome any method of getting rid of this one problem which was troublesome out of all proportion to its real importance. This was repeated by him with obvious sincerity and in several different ways.