760F.62/1193
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The French Ambassador called on his own request. In reply to some general inquiry about the European situation, he said he had had a news flash to the effect that German troops were crossing the Czechoslovakian border this afternoon. He had no more news than I had about the European situation.
He then brought up the question of criticism by newspapers and individuals in this country of the French and the British because of their recent course regarding Czechoslovakia. I stated that, without going into any discussion of the merits, it was sufficient to say that high officials of this Government are criticized severely by the press, but under our system of the freedom of the press there is no occasion to discuss the inevitability of criticism from time to time both of our Government and governments abroad; that the friendship of the American people for the people of France is so sincere and deep-seated that no criticism by a limited number of newspapers, groups, and individuals in this country would materially alienate the friendly feeling of our people for those of France, and that probably there is as much difference of views in France and England from time to time in regard to acute questions and conditions as he sees in this country with respect to the attitude of France and England.
The Ambassador then referred to the conversation of his fellow-Frenchman, Mr. Jouhaux, with President Roosevelt, after which Mr. Jouhaux [Page 639] had quoted the President as saying that if he should be invited to attend an international conference he would accept The Ambassador desired to know what I knew about it. I replied that he might well keep two things in mind; that, in the first place, the President of no country gives out important official information in that manner to an individual citizen, and, in the second place, unless Mr. Jouhaux thoroughly understands English it would be well to verify his version of the conversation before repeating it. I said that I made these observations so that there would be no possibility of the French Government being misled in any way, and that I did so without reference to the merits of the subject under discussion.
The Ambassador then made reference to the Neutrality Act62 and its possible operation in the event of war. I replied that I was not in a position to discuss the Neutrality Act or the subject of neutrality; that I was thus careful in my attitude in order to avoid every possibility of misleading the French Government or any other government; that the Congress will convene during the winter; that again belligerent nations in control of the high seas know fairly well what they can have access to in the way of commodities in almost any and every part of the world.
The Ambassador seemed very apprehensive and disturbed about the outlook abroad.
- Approved August 31, 1935; 49 Stat. 1081; amended May 1, 1937; 50 Stat. 121.↩