500.A15A4 Military Effectives/28: Telegram
The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 15—10:18 p.m.]
249. Department’s 132, June 14, 6 p.m.41 Yesterday morning Wilson and I called upon Herriot and placed in his hands the revised text of our statement on effectives together with a French translation. We explained to him our desire to have him read this and give us the benefit of any suggestions in the hope that it might be presented in such a way as to merit his support. He said that he would give it his careful attention and as soon as convenient he would inform us as to his views.
[Page 173]Yesterday evening at 5 o’clock Pertinax stopped Pell in the street and outlined to him the substance of our text quoting certain items from the French translation. Several representatives of the American press called on Wilson last night and stated that the French at their evening press conference had spoken of a memorandum left with Herriot “which provided for the reduction of the French Army by about 100,000 men”. Wilson denied that any such proposal for reduction had been made. This morning’s French papers contained various criticisms of the plan, referred to its inanity and absurdity and expressing the view that it should be brought out and disposed of as soon as possible. Pertinax’s article referring particularly to the tentative nature of our document was unobjectionable. Mowrer’s story was secured from French sources. There are various inaccuracies in Mowrer’s despatch. The memorandum was not given to the Yugoslav, Czechoslovak or Polish delegations and has been given in confidence to Herriot, Simon and Grandi so far.
I sent for Massigli who it appears is very much trusted by Herriot and expressed with some vehemence our discouragement at the fact that every time we have discussed confidential matters with the French delegation the French press has come out with attacks even before we have been afforded an official reaction. Massigli was obviously distressed and said that he feared this was based on the desire of certain elements in the French delegation to embarrass Herriot. Shortly thereafter Herriot came to see me accompanied by Marcel Ray, his Chef de Cabinet, a former journalist who accompanied Laval to America. Herriot was greatly agitated and assured me that under no circumstances could this document have come [into the?] hands of people who could have committed it to the press. I told him that a press conference had been held by someone in his delegation and told him what had been said. He said he was deeply disturbed that he would deal with this matter in no uncertain way. He appeared to be very genuine in all this and said he appreciated our act of friendship in telling him what had happened.
- Not printed.↩