763.72119 Military Clauses/79: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Edge) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 20—5:23 a.m.]
542. Referring to my 525, September 10, 4 p.m., the following is a brief summary of the 2 hours of conversation today at lunch at the Foreign Office at which in addition to the three Americans mentioned therein were present only Herriot; Alphand, former Minister at Dublin, Chief of his Diplomatic Cabinet; Ray, head of his personal Cabinet; and Léger, at the present moment in the absence of Berthelot Political Director of the Foreign Office.
As to Japan, Herriot again stated that he felt that a request by Japan for delay to enable an answer to be prepared and an advocate to come from Tokyo to Geneva should be readily granted particularly in order to avoid inflaming Japanese public opinion. Upon being advised by Reed that he had assurances from both MacDonald and Simon that they would insist on the publication of the Lytton report as soon as received by the Assembly [Council?] Herriot likewise agreed that this should be done. He felt that the increasing economic difficulties in Japan are likely to impede future operations in Manchuria and he volunteered the statement that France, Great Britain and America ought all to discourage any further loans to Japan at the present time. He stated that a small banking house in Paris with Japanese connections had been trying for months to urge a loan to Japan but that no important French banking interests would accept [Page 266] the suggestion and he assured us that any future efforts from this source would be discouraged.
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Cipher texts to London, Berlin and Berne.