812.79600/3–1545
Memorandum by the Secretary of State to President Roosevelt 30
The Department telegraphed Mr. Caffery on February 3 the text of a note to present to the French Foreign Minister in reply to his communication on the subject of security measures taken by the United States Navy on Clipperton Island. Our note, the text of which is enclosed, was drafted in conformity with your telegram of January 2831 and contained no commitment with respect to the eventual sovereignty of Clipperton Island—a subject which you indicated you wished to discuss upon your return.
During your absence we also arranged through the United States Navy at the request of Admiral Fenard, transportation for a French Officer, Lieutenant Louis Jampierre, to visit Clipperton Island. He returned about two weeks ago. While there are various indications that the French are still unhappy over this situation, we have thus far heard nothing further from them.
We have given further study to the question of the eventual sovereignty of Clipperton Island and I cannot urge too strongly that we handle the question of obtaining the right to establish a post-war military base on the Island solely with the French, and leave the Mexican Authorities out of the picture entirely.
As indicated in my memorandum to you of January 15, Mexico has not contested the French claim to Clipperton Island since the Island was awarded to France by the King of Italy on January 28, 1931. In this connection I am enclosing two brief memoranda,32 one showing the changes made in Article 42 of the Mexican Constitution in order to exclude “La Pasion” (Clipperton Island) from the national territory of Mexico, and the other excerpts from a note from the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Senate on this subject. It is of interest to note that the legislative action taken was in large part due to the firm stand of the Minister for Foreign Affairs who urged acceptance of the Award on the ground that it involved the good faith of Mexico which had agreed in submitting the matter to arbitration to accept the decision without appeal. For us at this late date to take a different view would, in my opinion, show an unfortunate disregard of an international [Page 793] award. Furthermore, I feel that we should bear in mind that while the Mexican authorities have shown a cooperative attitude during the course of this war, in which they are a co-belligerent, it has not been possible for them for political reasons to go so far as even to discuss our having bases in Mexican territory.
From the purely practical side, it is my belief that we can successfully negotiate an agreement with the French for the post-war military base on Clipperton Island, recommended by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, and that by restricting ourselves to dealing solely with the French we can obtain an agreement which will provide the necessary safety to the Panama Canal over a long period of years, and at the same time avoid offending French susceptibilities and showing a disregard of an international award.
Do you agree?