800.30/14: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Harvey) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 23—4:45 p.m.]
999. French Ambassador orally conveys to me message for you from Briand following meeting of his Cabinet. It contains nothing new, helpful or suggestive. Mere reiteration of French Government insistence upon 330,000 tonnage light craft and 90,000 tonnage submarines as proper and necessary for national defense. Nevertheless they were willing to discuss possible modification. To my inquiry whether Briand had indicated degree of possible modification for confidential communication to you he shook his head vaguely. In point of fact he seemed quite destitute of any information approximating definiteness or accuracy.