740.00111 A.R./502
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The French Ambassador25 called at his own request. He made some reference to the so-called safety zone around this hemisphere as suggested by the Panama Conference during this week. I made it clear to him that it was really just an extension to the lower end of the Caribbean of our present patrol policy in the Atlantic opposite this country; that it simply further implemented the consultative peace pacts of Buenos Aires and Lima; that there were no implications of the use of force in any of these consultative pacts, from the Buenos Aires Conference to and including that in Panama; that this Government in no event contemplates the use of force unless and until it is first attacked; that there is no plan or purpose to break down or destroy international law; that it is deemed important that this and other American nations should know something of what is going on as far out in the ocean as any activities might be calculated to affect the national security of the American Republics.
The Ambassador seemed to be satisfied, and added that his Government had not requested him to make any inquiry or representations.
- Count de Saint-Quentin.↩