740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Eastern Locarno)/73
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Phillips)
Mr. Neymann, Soviet Chargé d’Affaires, called on me today, evidently under instructions, and read to me the substance of a telegram which he had received reporting the signing on the 5th instant at Geneva of the Russian-French Pact56 relating to the Eastern Locarno. Mr. Neymann did not leave with me the text of the communication nor did he undertake to read to me the terms of the agreement. As summarized it seemed to be merely an agreement on the part of both governments to pursue the idea of an Eastern Locarno for the purpose of including in it all of the governments concerned. There was, however, a reference to the fact that if a full fledged Eastern Locarno Pact did not develop, then the two countries—France and Russia—agreed, nevertheless, to take counsel together in certain unnamed eventualities.
I asked Mr. Neymann whether this was the first time that the Soviet Government had formally mentioned the subject to other governments less concerned and he admitted that this was so.