800.51W89 France/913
Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State
The French Ambassador left with me this morning the accompanying note,6a in which his Government states that it is compelled to postpone payment on its debt. The important point in the note is the statement that “it by no means intends to break, unilaterally, engagements freely entered into and desires to renew to the Federal Government the assurance that it is always ready to bring in all appropriate ways its most active cooperation in seeking a satisfactory solution.”
M. de Laboulaye called attention to this phraseology and felt that it was “something at least.”
The Ambassador asked me to explain to the President the genuine efforts which he made to elicit part payment. He had, he said, some [Page 879] days ago urged upon his Government the idea of part payment to cover the December and June instalments due; he had received a reply saying that the proposal was an interesting one and was being carefully studied; he had, therefore, for several days hopes that the French Government would reconsider its former position, but apparently, after sounding out the leading members of the Chamber, his Government had come to the conclusion that it could not face the Chamber with such a proposal.
The Ambassador said he would be glad to make this explanation to the President personally. I explained that the President was getting ready to leave town, that he was overwhelmed with various matters to be disposed of and that, in the circumstances, I would ask M. de Laboulaye to allow me to carry forward his message. The Ambassador said he understood perfectly.
- Infra.↩