852.00/3116b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Wilson)
344. I issued a statement today respecting the withdrawal of our naval vessels in Spanish waters to ports in nearby countries. The full text of this statement will be in tonight’s radio bulletin.
The Navy Department has ordered the United States Destroyer Kane to proceed to French Atlantic ports (St. Jean de Luz, Bayonne, Bordeaux, et cetera), and the United States Destroyer Hatfield to proceed to French Mediterranean ports. We understand that the French Government has generally speaking waived the usual formalities for foreign war vessels entering French ports in connection with evacuating foreigners from Spain. It is probable that the above-mentioned vessels will remain for some time in various French ports where they will be available to answer emergency calls from our officers in Spain. In these circumstances it might be well for you to informally advise the appropriate French authorities of the proposed presence in French waters of these two destroyers. We assume that in the circumstances they will have no objection.25 Should any other naval vessels be ordered to French ports we will notify you.
- By telegram No. 858, September 11, 6 p.m., the Chargé informed the Department that the French authorities had no objections (852.00/3117).↩