751G.94/54: Telegram
The Consul at Hanoi (Reed) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:50 a.m.]
According to official communiqué issued this morning, Governor General was informed evening of September 1 of agreement between French and Japanese Government according certain military privileges to the Japanese Government under conditions stipulated by French Government, which were to be subject of conversations between Indochina and Japanese military authorities. Without waiting opening of these conversations (which were to open today), the Japanese military mission insisted that agreement should be signed before midnight September 2 granting rights of passage across Indochina without previous discussion and under conditions irreconcilable [Page 93] with those stipulated by French Government. At meeting of Government General Council yesterday afternoon Indochina authorities decided that it was not possible to defer to this ultimatum.
Sent to Cavite for repetition to Department, Chungking, Peiping, Hong Kong, Shanghai. Chungking please repeat to Yunnanfu. Hong Kong please repeat to Canton.