816.01/228
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White) of a Conversation With the French Chargé (Henry)
Mr. Henry called and said that he had a telegram from his Government saying that the Salvadoran Government had now told them, through the Salvadoran Chargé d’Affaires in Paris, that they [Page 606] were ready to sign the commercial treaty that has been under negotiation for some time between the two countries. If this proved to be the fact, the French Government did not see how it could delay recognition of Salvador much beyond the entering into effect of that treaty. He said that he was instructed to inform us of the facts.
Mr. Henry then inquired how we looked upon such recognition. I told Mr. Henry that we would not recognize Martínez and that our action was taken because we wished to support the efforts of the Central American countries themselves to maintain peace and order in Central America. Mr. Henry said that he understood that but that of course the European countries did not have the same interest. I told him I thought they did have. It is certainly to their interest that there should be peace and order in Central America and I thought it was really to their interest to support any measure designed to that purpose. Whenever there is trouble there, the European countries do not hesitate at once to call upon the United States to protect their nationals and we therefore felt that they might well want to cooperate with us in maintaining a policy which is designed to preserve peace and order. Mr. Henry said that he could see the force of the argument. I told him that of course they would have to judge the matter for themselves but that as he had asked my views I had given them to him very frankly.