793.94/2214: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 20—9:17 a.m.]
226. My 212, October 17, 9 p.m. I am informed notification of joint action of invoking the Pact of Paris on the part of France, Great Britain and Italy has now been sent to you by the French accompanied by an “explanation” of delay. I am not informed what their explanation will be. I had a firm understanding with the French, British and Italians in line with paragraph 4 of my telegram under reference at the hour I sent that telegram.
Immediately following your telling me on the telephone yesterday that you had not received such a notification I took the matter up with the British. They told me that they had fully understood that the French would notify Washington simultaneously with the notification being sent to the other signatories, as had been arranged between us. The British immediately took this matter up with the French. I went to the British first in this in order not to have a direct discussion with the French over what Reading told me he knew to be an error or misunderstanding on the part of the French.