893.0146/709
The French Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The Government of the Republic has attentively examined, together with the British Government, the communication made, on September 5 last, to their Ambassadors at Tokyo by the Japanese Government, to give them the friendly advice to withdraw their troops and war vessels voluntarily from the regions of China which are under the control of the Japanese forces. In so doing, it did not fail to take into consideration also the information which it has received, through the Ambassador of the United States at Paris, of the communication made by the Secretary of State to the Ambassador of Japan on September 8th.48
[Page 259]In view of its obligation to concentrate its efforts in order to face the difficulties of the European situation, the French Government would be disposed, if it were to settle this question from the point of view of its interests alone, to inform the Japanese Government that the use of the French forces in other fields has been under study for some time, that the French garrisons will probably be withdrawn in the near future, at any rate from Tientsin, that the Japanese Government will be informed of the final decision as soon as it has been made and, that in the meantime, the French Government has taken note of the offers made by the Japanese Government concerning the protection of the persons and property of French citizens when the French forces have been withdrawn.
If, nevertheless, the United States Government should be disposed to adopt an attitude which, while essentially intended to safeguard its interests in the Far East, in accordance with its general policy with respect to China, would likewise take into consideration the common interest, and if the United States Government thought that the withdrawal of the French garrisons would weaken the position which it wishes to take, the Government of the Republic would be happy to reconsider the question from that angle. It could not do so, however, without knowing the views of the United States Government and without being informed of the concrete suggestions which the said Government may have in mind as to the manner of maintaining such firmer attitude.
The French Government, without desiring to change its general policy with respect to China, does not believe that it is in a position, in view of the resources at its command and the obligations which it must face, to offer a prolonged resistance to the Japanese pressure, if this should be increased. Accordingly, if it were not assured of finding some support from the United States, it would deem it preferable to withdraw without sacrificing principles. It would in that case have the intention of withdrawing its armed forces from North China within a short time. In doing so, it would notify the Japanese Government that such withdrawal is undertaken for military reasons and must be regarded as temporary and without any prejudice to the rights which the Government of the Republic possesses under existing treaties.
The Government of the Republic, of course, will not fail to advise the United States Government beforehand of its intention.
- File translation revised by the editors.↩
- See memorandum by the Secretary of State, September 7, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 12.↩