Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1938, General, Volume I

751.62/435: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Wilson)

Washington, December 5, 1938—8 p.m.

912. Your 2045, last paragraph.⁴⁰ On November 28 the French Ambassador⁴¹ called and communicated to me in memorandum form official statements on the part of the French Government with regard to the agreement between the French and German Governments which he said was to be signed in the near future in Paris. He then expressed to me the very earnest hope of his Government that when the agreement was made public the Government of the United States would indicate in whatever manner it saw fit its approbation of the agreement reached, or at least indicate to the press its belief that the agreement would serve a useful purpose.

I told the Ambassador two days later that this Government did not feel itself able to make any public statement with regard to the signing of a Franco-German agreement. I explained to him inter alia that in view of the strained relationships existing between the United States and Germany it would be very difficult for this Government, out of a clear sky, to express approbation of an official act on the part of the German Government which inherently involved the question of the latter’s foreign policy. The texts of my memoranda of conversation are going to you by mail,⁴² but this brief summary may be helpful to you in conversations with French officials.

Welles

40. Telegram dated December 3, 1 p.m., not printed; the paragraph under reference reads as follows: “Bonnet spoke at length of his disappointment at the reception given in America to the Franco-German declaration. He said that he had instructed Saint-Quentin to discuss the French point of view thoroughly with you.” (751.65/435)
41. René Doynel de Saint-Quentin.
42. Instruction No. 1207, December 7, 1938, not printed.