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even to risk incurring Japanese enmity in the future, lest Japan should intervene against France in the event of that Power being embroiled in Europe.
Hone of my ɛiguments could shake Monsieur léger, who said that however unjustifiable Japanese demand might eneer it had to be granted for reasons of high and practical policy. my
distinct impression is that it would be unrise to continue to
press the French in this matter.
I, however, tackled Monsieur éger on the subject of his tuice-repea ced statement to me that the French would see to it
that China got far more arms and munitions than Japan. I pointed cut that it now seemed that the reverse tould be the
case, Japan having command of the seas.
Monsieur Léger was constrained to admit that it would be impossible to ensure the actual arrival of arms and munitions in Chine; all the French could do was to sell generous quantities to China on the American "catch and carry" principle, without any responsibility for delivery. As for the amounts to be sold to J pan, onsieur éger assured me categorically that they were practically negligible: the order that the Japanese were now placing in France was for a quite small quantity, and would not be delivered for another year. If any further demands were made the reply would be that the French required all their arms, etc., for their own national defence.
Finally monsieur léger told me that a certain number of French aeroplanes were being flown to China. Some members of the Government had objected to this, in view of French require- nents, but they had given way in this instance.