811.7451/13
The Ambassador in France (Herrick) to
the Secretary of State
Paris, November 7,
1921.
[Received November 25.]
No. 711Sir: With reference to your instruction No.
779, dated March 16th last,56 and other correspondence on the subject of the
reciprocal use of the Lafayette (Bordeaux) and Annapolis radio stations,
I have the honor to transmit herewith for the Department’s information,
[Page 962]
copy and translation of a
note received from the French Government in the premises.
This note maintains the same attitude as previously expressed by the
French Authorities, that is, agreement as to Paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 of
the draft agreement, but not as to Paragraph 2.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The French Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Briand)
to the American Ambassador (Herrick)
Mr. Ambassador: By letter dated July 28th
last you were good enough to inquire whether it would be possible to
utilize the station of Bordeaux–Lafayette for the transmission of
State telegrams destined for American war vessels.
I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the station
Bordeaux–Lafayette is destined to ensure long distance
communications, and particularly communications with the United
States, and its utilization for the transmission of official
messages to vessels would have the disadvantage, by limiting the
time which might be given to exchanges with corresponding stations,
of delaying the forwarding of commercial traffic.
It does not therefore seem desirable to open up the post of
Bordeaux–Lafayette to communications with American vessels, and it
has seemed preferable to the Under-Secretary of State of Posts and
Telegraphs to put the station of Lyons in charge of these
transmissions.
Kindly accept [etc.]
For the Minister and by authorization:
R. Péan
Minister Plenipotentiary 