500.A15A5/459a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France ( Straus )
336. French Ambassador informs us that on August 14 the French replied to British memorandum of August 2 on future naval construction. [Page 95] Ambassador stated French Foreign Office was going to inform you of the sense of its reply. Ambassador further stated qualitative proposals in memorandum were in general acceptable to French Government subject to acceptance by Americans and Japanese; that any program for new building should be for longer than 5-year period. If Foreign Office has not informed you of French reply, you might say we were informed of its intention to do so and thus endeavor to obtain as much information as possible with regard to French reply.
Repeat this telegram and your reply to London for Embassy’s information.