710. Consultation (2)/381
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The French Ambassador called and made inquiry about the program of the forthcoming Habana Conference55 next week as it might affect the French colonies in this hemisphere. I replied that the program would be general; that, of course, it contemplates no interference with governments in this hemisphere by any foreign government regardless of whether such interference relates to colonies owned by foreign or American governments prior to and since the Monroe Doctrine. The Ambassador desired to know whether we would personate [designate?] any French colonies at Habana in our defensive acts. I said that I knew of no such intention at present, but that he must understand that the Habana Conference would be opposed to any violation of the Monroe Doctrine and that this would include any methods of any foreign government to undermine or overreach or otherwise become a material factor in any of the American nations, or to undertake to dominate to a material extent the governments of the island possessions of foreign nations such as the French.
- See vol. v, pp. 2 ff.↩