740.0011 Four Power Pact/87: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Straus ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received June 3—10 a.m.]
251. During the course of my first visit to the Foreign Minister today Monsieur Paul-Boncour informed me the Four Power Pact was at present encountering difficulties because of the provision of article 3 for the reaffirmation of equality of rights without any engagement on the part of Germany not to rearm except in agreement with the other signatories.
France was willing to stand on the declaration of the 11th of December last on this subject but did not wish to reaffirm the position in agreement with the three powers without some equivalent understanding by Germany.
[Page 413]Monsieur Paul-Boncour would be willing, however, to leave article 3 entirely out and make the pact an instrument necessary for the collaboration so essential at the Economic Conference but felt that Germany did not feel this sufficiently important to make it worthwhile. He did not, however, despair of an ultimate accord which I told him everyone considered very necessary at this time.
Monsieur Paul-Boncour asked me to convey the substance of these views for the information of the President and to assure him of the value which his initiative has had at Geneva.
Telegraphed to London, Berlin, Borne, and Geneva.