740.00119 EW/1–1746: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
urgent niact
[Received January 18—11:50 a.m.]
276. 1. Following is a translation of the French reply to our note on the treaties (London’s 37, January 13),18
2. “I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note of January 14, 1946 in which Your Excellency was good enough to transmit to me the reply of the Secretary of State of the United States of America to note of January 3.
3. “The French Government has taken cognizance of the explanations given in this reply to the different points about which it had considered it necessary to be more completely informed of the views of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics. It is happy to take note of these explanations, which answer on the whole the questions about which the French Government had expressed concern.
4. “I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that, following our exchange of notes, the French Government accepts the proposals which were made to it, through your intermediary, with respect to the preparation of the peace treaties with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland.
5. “The French Government is also prepared to organize at Paris the envisaged conference for the discussion of these treaties and to invite to the conference all the governments whose participation in it is provided for in your note of December 23, 1945.
6. “Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the assurances of my very high consideration. (Signed) Bidault.”
7. The French intend to give the text of our latest note and the above reply to the press tomorrow afternoon (January 18) at 4 p.m. Paris time. Bidault, who leaves for London tomorrow morning, will carry with him a copy of the French text which he will give the Secretary.
8. Sent Department as 276; repeated to London for Byrnes as 35.