894.24/7–1047
The French Embassy to the Department of State
The Embassy of France in the United States presents its compliments to the Department of State and, referring to its notes dated January 8 and 22, 194617 relating to the distribution of the Japanese fleet, has the honor to inform it of the following:
Although the French Government has always attached the greatest importance to the allocations of equipment which might result from the distribution of Japanese reparations, it finds that the Nipponese [Page 413] warships which might be allocated to France would be utilizable only after extensive and costly alterations.
The French Government, under these conditions, deems it preferable, to relinquish all requests concerning warships, in order to receive equipment from Japanese navy yards or naval bases, Thus, it would like to obtain, more particularly, the following:
Floating docks, repair ships, and elements which may be used in the establishment of a mobile base.
A shipyard for the construction and repair of naval equipment.
The French Government would, moreover, greatly appreciate receiving this equipment as soon as feasible.18
The Embassy avails itself [etc.].
- See Foreign Relations, 1946, vol. viii, p. 471 and footnote 64, p. 472, respectively.↩
- The Department explained to the French Embassy, orally, that French refusal by August 8 to accept four former Japanese destroyers would not entitle them to other equipment (894.30/8–447).↩