862t.01/502
Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Conversation with the French Ambassador (Jusserand), December 26, 1922
The Ambassador said that he had received a long telegram from M. Poincaré. In the first place, M. Poincaré desired to express his gratitude to the Secretary for the way in which he had dealt with the matters that had been under discussion. The Ambassador said that he thought M. Poincaré referred to the Secretary’s denials with respect to the various absurd rumors that had filled the newspapers, the rumors which suggested plans that had never been under discussion and tended to becloud the questions that had been considered.
M. Poincaré said that in France there was a growing feeling of impatience and a growing sense of irritation. M. Poincaré had referred to what had taken place in the Chamber of Deputies and that many things that had been said were very hard. The impression given by the reports that had been circulated was that America was trying to tell France what she should do and what she should have. The Ambassador added that the statement this morning in the press from Senator McCormick was, to say the least, very inopportune, and would not help sentiment abroad.
Continuing, the Ambassador said that M. Poincaré, in his long telegram, had been very careful to point out that no annexation was contemplated. The Ambassador said he wished particularly to refer to one paragraph in M. Poincaré’s message. This paragraph, which the Ambassador read, was in substance that M. Poincaré did not contemplate any “annexation” or “diminution” of Germany territory; that one “would be mad to think of creating another Alsace-Lorraine”; that they desired the prosperity of Germany; that what they wanted was to be paid and that Germany could not pay unless she was prosperous.
The Ambassador went on to say that M. Poincaré again expressed the hope that an agreement would be reached at the resumption of the Premiers’ Conference in Paris on January 2; that if no agreement [Page 198] was reached at that time French opinion would demand that something should be done, but that nothing was contemplated except to take certain guarantees.
The Secretary asked what was meant by “guarantee.” The Ambassador said he supposed taking the customs. The Ambassador explained that he said this on his own responsibility and his own thought of what was projected; that M. Poincaré only referred in his telegram to guarantees. The Secretary asked whether any military occupation of the Ruhr was intended. The Ambassador said he thought not, in view of what M. Poincaré had said in the paragraph above-mentioned with respect to “annexation.”
The Secretary said that a policy of annexation might be disclaimed and yet there might be occupation taken of territory in such a way as a means of enforcing guarantees which might not easily be given up. One step might lead to another. A statesman who started upon a given course might find it difficult in the light of the opinion of his people to change it. The Ambassador said that he had put very strongly before M. Poincaré the Secretary’s fear that a movement by France would cause disaster in Germany, and that evidently M. Poincaré did not think that would be the result.
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