711.5112 France/42

The Chargé in France ( Whitehouse ) to the Secretary of State

My Dear Mr. Secretary: Immediately upon receipt of your telegram of June 27th, I called upon M. Leger, Briand’s Chief of Cabinet, [Page 622] and told him that you were not prepared at this time to express any opinion on the draft of the treaty and that you thought it would be unwise for Briand to make any public statement on this subject. Leger readily acquiesced and said he would tell Claudel, who is making a speech at the 4th of July banquet, to avoid any reference to it.

There is no desire, so far as I can see, on the part of the French Government to sidetrack the informal diplomatic conversations you suggested, since on every occasion on which the subject has been mentioned, Briand, Berthelot and Leger have always said that they did not wish to make any move except with your entire concurrence. I feel, however, that a fear exists in French circles that the plan may be ruined by the interference of some of our too zealous compatriots, not to mention any names, and that the greater the delay in governmental action the more time for speeches and press comment which may prove embarrassing. It is, in my opinion, for this reason that Briand presented a draft for your consideration. He hoped it would meet with your approval, and if it did, he apparently thought that the 4th of July would be a good occasion on which to say so. That I think is all there is to the recent French moves.

Believe me [etc.]

Sheldon Whitehouse