793.94/5754: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Edge) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 15—6:44 p.m.]
20. Your 10, January 13, 6 p.m. In order to avoid mistaken ideas as to the possible purpose of a visit to the Prime Minister at this time and primarily to hasten matters before the departure of the French representative for Geneva tonight, Marriner saw Cot, [Page 87] Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, this afternoon. Cot intends to proceed to Geneva the end of the week to represent France on the Committee of Nineteen. In the meantime Massigli who leaves tonight will sit and Cot will inform him at once of the tenor of your ideas.
Cot expressed himself as very well pleased to have this reaffirmation of the American position which he said was fully in accord with the French position as it has been stated by Paul-Boncour. He felt it to be absolutely necessary that the League should put itself on record in the sense of the Lytton report, although he could conceive no possibility of military sanctions in Manchuria. His only fear was the attitude of the English who he said would be greatly influenced by the knowledge of your point of view.
Cot promised to inform Paul-Boncour immediately of the substance of this confidential conversation and to let him know that I am ready to talk with him at any time if he had questions to ask or anything to add to what Cot told Marriner.
As Sir John Simon left London this noon for Paris en route to Geneva tonight, I informed Tyrrell99 of the substance of your telegram and of the French indication of sympathy for your point of view which he will advise Simon.
- Lord William George Tyrrell, British Ambassador to France.↩