500.A15A4/2537
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Phillips)
The Belgian Ambassador41 gave me today the substance of the conversation between the President and M. Francqui42 on the occasion of the luncheon at the White House on May 16th in M. Francqui’s honor.
The President opened the conversation by asking M. Francqui his views regarding the German situation, to which M. Francqui replied that, in his opinion, an economic crisis was fast approaching, etc. etc.
The President then explained his position with respect to the Disarmament Conference; that there should be a given period of years in which gradual disarmament should become effective; that during this period there should be automatic commissions of inspection and that if Germany should refuse to take part sanctions should be applied in the nature of a boycott against the purchase of any German goods; while Germany should be permitted to buy as much as she pleased from abroad; the President felt that any such concerted movement would quickly bring Germany to terms.43
M. Francqui asked the President whether the American people would be willing to support a movement of this nature, to which the President promptly replied in the affirmative.
It is evident that the President’s commitment in this respect has made a great impression on Ambassador May, who has undoubtedly reported it to his Government.
- Paul May.↩
- Emile Francqui, head of the special Belgian mission to the United States to announce the accession to the throne of Leopold III, King of the Belgians.↩
- No further record of this proposal by President Roosevelt for the use of sanctions has been found in the files of the Department. For similar suggestion on October 22, 1934, see memorandum from the Under Secretary of State to the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs, p. 170; see also memorandum of October 23 from the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs to the Under Secretary of State, p. 170 and footnote.↩