Office of the Historian

840.48 Refugees/413: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State

Paris, June 27, 1938—6 p.m.
[Received June 27—4:34 p.m.]

1011. Personal for the Secretary and Under Secretary from Myron Taylor. I had a first conversation this morning with Senator Berenger who will head the French delegation to the meeting at Evian and reviewed with him the present position as follows:

1.
Stress should be laid on the fact that Evian will be a confidential meeting of representatives of governments and not a public conference where all sorts of ideas will be aired to the press and to the general public. In consequence there should be only one public session at the outset where general statements may be made. Thereafter the meeting should go into executive session and a formal declaration should be given out for publication.
2.
In view of the fact that most of the delegates to the Evian meeting must be in Paris by July 19 when the King of England will make his state visit it will be advisable to adjourn the conference at Evian on July 17 with the understanding that it will resume in Paris if necessary after the King’s visit.
3.
There will be every advantage in covering as much ground as possible in advance of the meeting in order that rapid progress may be made at Evian between July 6 and July 17. A British representative will come to Paris in the strictest confidence on Thursday and it may be possible to have three party meetings between the British, the French, and ourselves on Friday or Saturday on the understanding that of course there will be absolutely no publicity.
4.
Senator Berenger assured me that the French Government wished to do everything possible to contribute to the success of the undertaking and was prepared to go along with the American position as far as practicable. In any event the French Government was determined that there should be no difference between the viewpoints of the American and French delegations when they reached Evian.
5.
Senator Berenger said that his Government was thoroughly in accord with the agenda and promised to take under immediate consideration the subject matter of my opening speech a copy of which I handed to him.
6.
It was agreed that we should hold further informal and strictly confidential meetings during the course of the present week and that by the close of the week the possibility should be considered of multilateral conversations here between representatives of certain of the governments taking part in the Evian meeting.17 [Taylor.]

Bullitt
  1. Mr. Taylor was informed, in telegram No. 419, June 29, 5 p.m., to the Ambassador in France, that his proposed course of action was fully approved.↩