611.51G31/11
The French Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
[Translation]80
In an aide-mémoire dated January 30th, the State Department has been kind enough to inform the French Embassy that the United States Government was studying the possibility of entering into commercial negotiations with Indochina. To this effect, the State Department indicated that it would be found useful if the French Ambassador in Tokyo would furnish his American colleague with information relative to the conversations at present in progress with Indochina and Japan, with a view to the signing of a trade agreement. The United States Government was, besides, prepared to consider, with a view of purchase, the offers of certain commodities (rubber, tin, tungsten and antimony) that might be made by the Government of Indochina.
The French Government is prepared to instruct the French Ambassador to Japan to proceed, with the United States Ambassador to a direct exchange of information on the progress of the conversations taking place in Tokyo.
However, the French Government deems it necessary, beforehand, to be assured of the determination of the United States Government to enter actively into a commercial negotiation with Indochina. The French Government wishes, in the interest of the United States Government itself, that negotiations should start as soon as possible. It [Page 59] appears indeed from reports coming from Tokyo that the Japanese Government has asked for the whole of the Indochinese production of rubber and minerals. Due to the position taken by the Japanese negotiators, it is to be feared that the delegation of the Indochinese Government will be obliged shortly to render a decision regarding the demand thus presented.
The French Ambassador has the honor of drawing the attention of His Excellency the Secretary of State to the urgency of the United States Government entering immediately into negotiations with Indochina with a view to safeguarding American commercial interests in this French colony. To hasten these negotiations, the French Government suggests that the U. S. Ambassador in Vichy be instructed to direct them.
- Revised by the editors.↩