[C 8333] 13 OCT 1927

WESTERN EUROPE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[W 9639/9639/17]

Sir Austen Chamberlain to the Marquess of Crewe(Paris).

(No. 2558.)

My Lord Marquess, Foreign Office, October11, 1927.

THE French Ambassador called this afternoon. He had met the Marquis Merry del Val in the Ambassadors’ Waiting Room and the Marquis had already told him of the communication which he was charged to make to me in regard to General Primo de Rivera's alleged interview with a representative of the “Sunday Times.”

M. de Fleuriau referred to the recent Macedonian outrages. He agreed with me that M. Marinkovitch was showing great moderation and wisdom and that the Bulgarian Government was apparently taking all the measures which might be properly expected of them and that there was, therefore, no cause for any immediate intervention on our part. I mentioned that we had given some friendly advice in Sofia, but I hoped that the matter would now be settled between the two Governments.

We then discussed the recent meeting at Geneva, and this gave rise to some interesting observations of a purely personal character on the part of M. de Fleuriau in regard to article 16 of the Covenant, upon which he indicated that he might possibly at some future time speak to me more officially. In the meantime, I need only say that he evidently appreciated how much the withdrawal of the United States affected the application of this article not only by Great Britain but by France and other Powers. I was agreeably surprised to find his mind actively engaged on the subject, but at present he had not communicated his thoughts to M. Briand and is not certain whether it would be opportune that he should do so. This part of the conversation, therefore, I can only treat as a private exchange of views between himself and me.

Before he left, I gave him an account of my conversation in Paris with M. Zaleski as recorded in despatch to Warsaw No. 482. I said that I proposed to study the question afresh as I had promised M. Zaleski that I would do, and that I would keep M. de Fleuriau informed as to my views and any possible action, as this was obviously a matter in which it was most desirable that the French and British Governments should act in close accord.