851G.6363/17: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Saigon ( Browne )
42. Your 108, October 6, 5 p.m. Department is repeating to Vichy the substantive portions of your 100, September 30, 8 a.m., your 105, October 4, 9 a.m.5 and Department’s 638, October 4, 6 p.m. to Tokyo and in so doing is instructing Vichy as follows:
“Please approach the appropriate French authorities as soon as practicable and, after referring to the situation under discussion and the views of the American Government in regard thereto as outlined in the Department’s telegram of October 4 to Tokyo, state that the American Government is confident that the French Government will wish to issue to the Indochinese Government without delay such instructions as will prevent the requisitioning, for the purposes indicated, of the properties of the American oil companies at Saigon. You may add that the American Government views as a matter of importance the. development under reference and that it is loath to believe that the [Page 316] French Government would consider even momentarily the requisitioning in Indochina of American properties in order that such properties may be placed at the disposal of any third country.”
Department desires that you make known without delay to the appropriate Indochinese authorities the views of the American Government as expressed in the Department’s 638, October 4, 6 p.m. to Tokyo and the substance of the Department’s instruction to Vichy as quoted above.
Sent to Saigon via Hong Kong. Repeated to Chungking, Peiping and Shanghai. Shanghai repeat to Tokyo. Shanghai also repeat to Chungking and Peiping Saigon’s 105, October 4, 9 a.m.
- Neither printed.↩