500.A15A4 Steering Committee/204: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Marriner) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 1—9:50 a.m.]
685. From Norman Davis. Tyrrell told me that in a conversation he had with Herriot last night the latter was still preoccupied about the five-power conference. He said that he did not doubt the good faith of England and the United States in trying to work out a constructive solution that would be fair and safe to France. On the other hand he was persuaded that the German strategy would be to work for our support in getting France to accede to their demands and failing in that try to drive a wedge between France and our two countries. Herriot told him that France was committed to a disarmament program and that as long as he was Prime Minister he would insist upon France carrying out that commitment but that the proposal of Simon, in effect to permit German re-armament by giving them a specimen of each kind of weapon, complicated the whole question and made it more difficult for France to make substantial progress towards disarmament. I reiterated to Tyrrell that what I had told Herriot, namely, that we did not propose to line up with either France or Germany against the other; that we merely wished to be helpful in trying to work out a constructive solution comprising the greatest measure of disarmament immediately possible and to avoid any increase in armament anywhere.
Tyrrell received a message this morning confirming the fact that MacDonald and Simon would arrive here this evening and proceed to Geneva tonight. Herriot plans to leave tomorrow night. [Davis.]