800.51W89France/816
Senator David A. Reed to the Secretary of State37
My Dear Mr. Secretary: You may have noticed in the Congressional Record of January 4, 1933, at pages 1355 et seq.,38 the statement by Senator Borah that in the conversations between President Hoover and Mr. Laval the latter was given to understand that if France cancelled German Reparations, she would receive some readjustment of debts on the part of the United States.
I have been told that you were present throughout the entire conversation between the President and Mr. Laval. If you feel free to give the information, I should be obliged to you if you would tell me whether there is any warrant for this statement by Senator Borah. In other words, was anything said to Mr. Laval which would justify his understanding that France might expect debt reduction from us if she reduced or cancelled German Reparations?
Faithfully yours,
- Senator Reed also directed a letter of inquiry to Ogden L. Mills, Secretary of the Treasury, who stated that he was present at all of the meetings between President Hoover and Premier Laval. The reply of the Secretary of the Treasury was similar to that of the Secretary of State. For text of the letter from Mr. Mills, see Congressional Record, vol. 76, pt. 2, pp. 1402 ff.↩
- See Congressional Record, vol. 76, pt. 2, pp. 1291 ff. (Bound volume).↩