Office of the Historian

810.79611 Tri Motors Safety Airways/237

The Ambassador in France (Edge) to the Secretary of State

Paris, August 13, 1930.
[Received August 23.]
No. 786

Sir: I have the honor to report that, immediately upon the receipt of the Department’s telegraphic instruction No. 158 of July 14, 5 p.m.,49a the Embassy requested of the French Government a prolongation for three months of the temporary authorization permitting the airplanes of the Pan American Airways and the New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Line to fly over and land in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana. I have to-day been orally informed by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs that a prolongation of the permits for the two companies cited has been granted. This prolongation, however, is valid for two months only, that is until October 15, 1930.

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The attached copies of a letter from the Air Ministry to the Assistant Military Attaché for Air of this Embassy,50 would appear to explain the reason why authorization is not being granted to the companies for the full three months. From that letter and the attached memorandum of Major Walsh,50 it may be observed that the Air Ministry is evidently not disposed to continue the authorization accorded the Pan American Airways and the New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Line beyond October 15 unless by that time the American companies under reference shall have undertaken the negotiation of a working agreement with the Aeropostale.

The projected basis upon which permission may be prolonged is, of course, at variance with the basis upon which temporary authorization was initially sought. It may be recalled that, during the conversations held between the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Francis White, and the Secretary of the French Embassy in Washington, it was suggested that the permissions be granted without any definite fixed date of termination, but subject to cancellation on sixty days notice, pending the negotiation of an air navigation agreement between the United States and France.51

Instructions are respectfully requested as to whether the Department desires me to renew the efforts to negotiate with France an agreement following the lines of that signed between the United States and Canada,52 or whether the American companies are disposed to enter into a working agreement with the French air line, or failing that, to arrange their air routes so as not to traverse French territory in the western hemisphere.

I have [etc.]

For the Ambassador:
Norman Armour

Counselor of Embassy
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Not printed.↩
  4. See Foreign Relations, 1929, vol. i, pp. 532 ff.↩
  5. Ibid., vol. ii, p. 111.↩