862t.01/24: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Wallace ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:08 p.m.]
895. Mission. Referring to my 885, April 2, 11 p.m. I called upon M. Millerand this morning and informed him of Goeppert’s call, of the contents of the note, and of his explanation with regard to the misunderstanding to the effect that the German Government had believed that the French Government had withdrawn their objection to the German troops entering the Ruhr district on the condition that if they were not withdrawn within two or three weeks the Allies would have the right to occupy Frankfort, Darmstadt and other towns. I stated that I had taken the liberty of calling on him in order to ascertain the views of the French Government, as I understood the same note had been presented to him by the German Delegation.
Mr. Millerand replied that the information which he had regarding conditions in the Ruhr was not in accordance with what the Germans had. While the Germans claimed that the situation was very dangerous and even desperate his information which he considered to be reliable coming from Allied officers was to the effect that conditions were now in no way dangerous and that the entry of additional Reichswehr forces would only tend to stir up trouble in the local population, that the people of the Ruhr would resent the enticements [interference?] of the Reichswehr troops and that the presence of the latter might lead to the destruction of the coal mines. He had so informed the German Chargé d’Affaires and had insisted that the German troops which had entered the neutral zone be immediately withdrawn. He pointed out that these troops were part of the third marine brigade which had led the revolution of the 13th of March in Berlin.
As regards the alleged misunderstanding Mr. Millerand stated that the German Chargé d’Affaires had first asked that permission [Page 306] be given by the Allies for the introduction of additional German forces into the neutral zone on March 19th. Evidently Mr. Mayer had repeated his request on March 23rd and at that time Mr. Millerand had refused his consent. On March 27th the Germans had proposed that if permission were granted and the German forces were not withdrawn within six weeks the Allies should have the right to occupy Frankfort, Darmstadt, etc. Mr. Millerand had at that time taken the position that if the German troops were allowed to occupy any section of the neutral zone a similar privilege should be accorded the Allies. It was this which had led to the statement by the German Chancellor in the National Assembly. No definite agreement had been reached but the German Chargé d’Affaires had again taken up the matter on Tuesday last when Mr. Millerand had given him his final answer as confirmed by his note of March 31st, since when his views had not changed. To sum up, the present situation was as follows: The neutral zone had been entered by German troops which he insisted should be withdrawn and in view of his information in which he put full faith he was opposed to the Reichswehr forces entering the Ruhr Basin.