U.S.S. HOUSTON
 
      FROM MR EARLY, SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT 
 
      TO THE PRESIDENT
 
      
 
 
BY TREATY ALREADY COVER THE CASE OF AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK DELIVERED 
      UPON FRANCE BY GERMANY WHETHER ACTING ALONE OR IN SUPPORT OF 
      ITALY. WHILE IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT IN THE EVENT OF AN ATTAOK ON 
      FRANCE BY ITALY ALONE FRANCE MIGHT FEEL THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARILY 
      IN HER INTERESTS THAT GREAT BRITALN SHOULD INTERVENE IF THE EFFECT 
      OF SUCH INTERVENTION WERE TO BRING GERMANY INT0 WHAT MIGHT OTHERWISE 
      BE A LOCALIOED CONFLICT, HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED 
      KINGDOM WERE FULLY CONSCIOUS THAT THE RISKS TO WHICH THE TW0 
      POWERS WERE SEVERALLY EXPOSED COULD NOT BE DISASSOCIATED THE 
      FRENCH GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE NOTED THE PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT 
      IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON FEBRUARY SIXTH. IT WAS IN THE LIGHT 
      OF THIS SITUATI0N THAT HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED 
      KINGDOM HAD PROPOSED TO THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT THE EXTENSION OF 
      STAFF CONVERSATIONS AS INDICATED IN PARAGRAPH TWO OF LORD HALIFAX'S 
      SHORT MESSAGE OF FEBRUARY SEVENTH.
 
      
 
 
TERMS OF THIS REPLY TO THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ARE BEING COMMUNIOATED 
      TO THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR SECRET INFORMATION END QUOTE 
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