751.93/62
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs (Hamilton)
The French Ambassador called. He referred to his call on Mr. Welles on June 115 and to the suggestion made by Mr. Welles that he take up in detail with me the document which he had received from his Government covering proposals made by the Chinese Government to France and Great Britain for reciprocal military collaboration. The Ambassador said that he assumed that we had already been informed of the approach made by the Chinese to the French and British Governments on this subject. I replied in the affirmative. He then said that it was the thought of the French Foreign Office that it would be unwise for the French Government to return a categorical negative to the Chinese proposal for fear that such a rejoinder might serve to discourage the Chinese; and that the French Foreign Office thought it advisable therefore to continue the conversations on the subject with the Chinese Government. The Ambassador said that the French Foreign Office had made reply to the Chinese proposal to the general effect that consideration might preferably be given at this time to specific proposals which might be offered to cover specific contingencies.
The Ambassador asked me whether the Chinese Government had approached us on the subject with the suggestion that the United States take, in the contingency of a European war, parallel action. I replied in the affirmative. The Ambassador then asked what reply we had made to the Chinese. I said that we had made a brief informal and oral reply to the Chinese Ambassador here to the general effect that the Chinese Embassy was aware of this Government’s attitude on the subject of parallel action and cooperation, as clearly set forth in numerous public statements by high officers of this Government.
- Memorandum of conversation not printed.↩