800.51W89 France/760: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Edge) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 13—9:15 a.m.]
713. The parliamentary situation here seems to indicate the imminent fall of the Herriot Government which will mean that the interim government cannot make the December 15 payment and no new government could be constituted in time to do so.
Although I have purposely consulted with no French official on this subject the Embassy has learned from sources close to the Prime Minister that it might be helpful to him to have even informal assurances of the nature of a reservation which might be acceptable to the United States.
In going over the possibilities for this purpose it seems to me that a reservation along the following lines which will be naturally purely unilateral might be acceptable to French public opinion and the French Parliament and at the same time be not inconsistent with American policy as expressed in the notes thus far exchanged.
“The Government of the French Republic makes the payment of the December 15 installment to the United States with the understanding that it is the last payment it will make before a satisfactory reconsideration of the whole problem in accordance with the December 8 note of Secretary of State Stimson in which it is stated that ‘The President of the United States is prepared through whatever agency may seem appropriate in cooperation with the French Government to survey the entire situation.’”
Notwithstanding the clarity of notes exchanged there has been so much comment here on alleged British-American understanding that it might be very helpful to Herriot in his final arguments this afternoon to be able to intimate that while he had no definite assurance or commitment, yet through his investigations he felt that the above would not be objectionable to the United States because as in the case of the British notes it would consist alone of a statement of the position of the French Government.
[Page 743]If it is your opinion that something on the order of the above should be unofficially brought to Herriot’s attention to be of any service I should receive instructions by telephone on receipt of this telegram.