500.C001/822: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Marriner) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:05 p.m.]
454. Department’s circular telegram October 14, 11 [10] a.m. I talked with Léger81 this morning who tells me that Daladier feels that France should remain calm in the face of yesterday’s events in Germany. The press, while devoting much space to the event and printing Hitler’s declaration and radio speech in full, has largely adopted the “I told you so” attitude.
Léger said that France would continue its work on the Disarmament Conference and thought that the efforts there should be pushed to a conclusion of a treaty that would demonstrate to the German people what they are refusing. He felt that only in that framework could this be done as the Four Power Pact was entirely built around the League and the Disarmament Conference. Once Germany had withdrawn from those he saw no possibility of discussing matters under that agreement.
Repeated to Geneva and London.
- Alexis Léger, Secretary General of the French Foreign Office.↩