462.00R296A1/57: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Edge)85
28. Your 41, January 16, 5 p.m. You were correct in citing my aide-mémoire of December 29. The views and policy of this Government as stated therein have not been changed. You may say to Laval that “The American Government initiated the intergovernmental debt postponement for the major purpose, among others, of affording to European countries the opportunity, during a year, of [Page 650] reaching upon European initiative, constructive solutions of strictly European questions which would turn the tide of depression. The continuing policy of the United States is that the debts due to the United States remain now, as when first settled, individual questions between the United States and each of its debtors separately, and not to be dealt with otherwise.”
London’s 14, January 18, 1 p.m. to the Department,86 is being repeated to you from London for your information. Unless you perceive some objection you may remind Laval as coming from you and entirely on your own initiative that no debt payments from the major debtor nations are due to be paid to this Government until December 15, 1932. This is with reference to Laval’s feeling expressed in section 4 of your 41 that “because of the German elections and conditions there they would be quite agreeable to having the Lausanne Conference recessed until perhaps June”. You may wish to adduce as the cause for your remark the information conveyed to you in London’s 14 abovementioned. You should not in any way let this appear as a suggestion emanating from here.