793.94/8784
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hornbeck) of a Conversation With the First Secretary of the French Embassy (Gaucheron)
Mr. Gaucheron called this morning and, referring to a conversation which he had had with Mr. Hamilton yesterday afternoon, repeated substantially what he had said to Mr. Hamilton (see Mr. Hamilton’s memorandum of conversation, July 13,95 on subject: “The Sino-Japanese Situation”).
I said that on July 12 this Government had taken action as reported in the press release of that date, of which I gave Mr. Gaucheron a copy; and that on July 13 the Secretary of State had spoken with both the Japanese96 and the Chinese Ambassadors and had again strongly urged upon them the desirability of maintaining peace.
Mr. Gaucheron inquired what was our feeling on the subject of cooperation. I said that we were all in favor of a general effort for maintenance of peace; that we had already made the effort indicated; that we hoped that other governments would make efforts. Mr. Gaucheron inquired whether we had instructed our representatives in Japan and in China to speak. I replied that we had not done so, but that the Secretary of State was speaking here at headquarters and that we hoped other governments would speak, each in whatever way seemed most practicable to it. I gave Mr. Gaucheron a penciled statement in record of conversations by the Secretary of State with the Chinese and the Japanese Ambassadors, yesterday (July 13). Mr. Gaucheron said that he would like to be kept informed of any steps that we take. I said that he might inform his Government that we would greatly [Page 164] appreciate being informed of any steps which it might take. Mr. Gaucheron said: “Yes, certainly.”
The conversation there ended.
- Ante, p. 151.↩
- See memorandum of July 13, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. i, p. 320.↩