811.04418/425

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)

The French Ambassador called this morning. He said he had been somewhat disturbed by the change of plans with regard to the Secretary’s proposed testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee. He asked if I could give him the background of the change for the confidential information of his government.

I replied that I would gladly do so. The Secretary had consulted with Senator Pittman and other friends of the Administration on the Committee and had learned from them that a dispassionate statement of our position would neither help nor hinder our cause. The opposition [Page 657] on the Committee was merely awaiting the Secretary’s appearance in order to ask him whether the purpose of the Administration in seeking a change in the present Neutrality Law was to assist the British and French; to what degree the American Government had been in touch with the British and French Governments; what was the position of Japan with relation to (a) the United States, (b) the Axis Powers; and a series of other leading questions that would at once get him onto controversial ground. The Secretary felt that he was on the horns of a dilemma. If he answered such questions he ran the risk of stirring up passions, and possible misunderstandings throughout the country; if he declined to answer the questions he would be accused of lack of frankness and of pursuing a policy of mystery. Furthermore, the Committee had excluded the idea of an executive session. All in all, therefore, he thought it would be wiser, for the moment at least, not to go before the Committee but to continue a series of conferences with individual Senators in an endeavor to persuade them of the justice of our point of view. Should circumstances make it advisable later for the Secretary to testify in person, no doors had been definitely closed.

The Ambassador said that this clarified the situation for him, as he had been somewhat confused by the despatches in the morning’s newspapers.

We then got to discussing the European situation. I asked him if he had any further news with regard to the approach by Pope Pius the 12th offering mediation.2 The Ambassador said that he had no definite news but that to him it was a foregone conclusion that France would not accept mediation in any dispute or controversy where it was not a question of finding a compromise but a question of all give and no get.

Pierrepont Moffat
  1. See telegram No. 897, May 6, 4 p.m., from the Ambassador in France, p. 179.