751G.94/150: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 25—5:51 a.m.]
623. My 621, September 24, 5 p.m.1 Chauvel has just shown me the latest telegram received from the French Ambassador at Tokyo. The latter reported that the Japanese Foreign Office was obviously uninformed of the true situation with respect to French Indochina and evinced considerable embarrassment when he explained the facts. He said they were impressed by Admiral Decoux’s appeal to the Indo-Chinese population to accept with calm the agreement reached with the Japanese. Arsene-Henry believes that Tokyo will make an endeavor to bring about a withdrawal of the Japanese forces from Indochinese territory.
The main question now, he said, is to ascertain whether the Japanese Canton arm will accept the accord signed by Nishihara or whether it won’t.
The exact text of the pertinent paragraph 5 of the military accord of September 22nd has now been received in Vichy. Chauvel has given me a copy which reads as follows in translation:
“The Japanese troops which are at present near the Sino-Indochinese frontier may, at the request of the Japanese authorities, be transported across Indochinese territory in order to embark at the port of Haiphong.
Transportation of these troops necessitating a detailed study will be the subject of a special accord between the two general staffs. Until this accord shall have been concluded, no Japanese troops shall cross the Indochinese frontier.”
- Not printed.↩