740.00111A Recruiting/35

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

During the call of the French Ambassador,60 he spoke of his conversation on yesterday with Mr. Dunn, Political Adviser on European Affairs, relative to calling French citizens in the United States to the colors in France. I gave him copies of our domestic statutes which prohibit enlisting or movements for enlisting in this country,61 and then added that, in my opinion, the officials of the French Government have a right to issue notice to French citizens in the United States that their class has been called to the colors in France by the French Government and that they are earnestly requested to respond without delay, etc. I said that if the Ambassador had any other questions [Page 699] in mind about the details he might confer with Mr. Hackworth, Legal Adviser, whom I had requested to examine all of the World War precedents on this subject.

C[ordell] H[ull]
  1. Count de Saint-Quentin.
  2. S. 2982, approved March 4, 1909, 35 Stat. 1089; H. R. 2893, approved May 7, 1917, 40 Stat. 39.