751G.94/242: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 12—1:38 p.m.]
937. My telegram 884, November 4, 3 p.m. and previous. Chauvel referred again to the British reluctance to permit the French to transfer four battalions of Senegalese from Djibouti to Indochina where they are so badly needed at the present time in view of Thailand’s attitude. He handed me a brief memorandum this morning the purport of which he hoped I would telegraph to the Department. The French Government has received information unofficially from its Embassy in Madrid to the effect that the British Admiralty has refused to authorize the requested troop transfer. (Chauvel told me that this report came from the French Naval Attaché at Madrid; that Sir Samuel Hoare45 had declined to transmit the Admiralty’s answer but had telegraphed back to London in view of what he termed the “stupidity” of the Admiralty’s position).
The position taken by the British Admiralty, says Chauvel’s memorandum, gives rise to three observations:
- 1.
- The measures taken by the British have already resulted in a 1 month’s delay in sending the reinforcements in question;
- 2.
- The French are not at all sure that the Italians will continue indefinitely the authorization given at Turin especially as concerns the free disposition of the required arms;
- 3.
- That by handicapping thus the defense of Indochina the British authorities are giving substance to the charges of Japanese propaganda [Page 206] according to which the Thailandese claims against Indochina are being encouraged by the British Government. (Please see my telegram 884, November 4, 3 p.m.)
He hopes we will talk to the British about it.
- British Ambassador in Spain.↩