Monday morning, September 2, Quai d’Orsay. In the ornate office of the foreign minister, Pierre Laval and Alexis Léger, secretary-general at the Quai d’Orsay, stood waiting by a small conference table in front of a large fireplace. A few steps away from the conference table stood another small desk with papers on it; Madame Bardoux stood unobtrusively to one side. Presently the doors to the office opened and the usher pointed the way to the two British diplomats. They were stopping in Paris to coordinate policy with the French before traveling on to Geneva.
Anthony Eden, minister of League of Nations affairs, and Sir Robert Vansittart, permanent secretary of the British foreign office, entered the room. Warm introductions were made and the four men sat down at the small conference table. Madame Bardoux silently sat down, ready to provide any documents that Alexis Léger might summon.
Eden directly addressed Laval, “We should present a joint Anglo-French report to the League Council in Geneva.”
Laval replied, “We completely agree, with the proviso that detailed terms should be left out so as not to prejudice future negotiations with Mussolini. We want to keep future bases of settlement with the Italians open.”
Madame Bardoux listened and thought that Foreign Minister Laval was staying true to his twin goals of always keeping a clear road open for future talks and playing for time. Time was always the diplomat’s ally, she thought. It was an article of faith with Laval, she knew.
Eden nodded in agreement. Eden then turned thoughtful and said, “British public opinion is strongly behind the Covenant and the League.”
Laval nodded in sage understanding.
Then Eden put forward a feeler. “But what if war should break out? Where would France stand?”
Laval slowly responded, “Eh, bien. Well, France has made standing behind the Covenant and the League the cornerstone of her foreign policy since the war. So, could you give France the assurance that in the future Britain would be as firm in upholding the Covenant, here in Europe, as Britain is now in Africa?”
Madame Bardoux made a small note. “Laval puts the German question directly at the British.”
Eden replied, without hesitation, “If the Covenant was upheld in this instance…our own moral obligation to assist in supporting and enforcing the Covenant in the future would be correspondingly increased.”
Laval thoughtfully nodded at Eden’s statement, and then replied, “That was the answer I expected. But it is not the answer to my question.”
Eden looked slightly downcast and nodded at Vansittart with a knowing expression. Both British diplomats understood that the British cabinet had steadfastly refused to commit to unconditional promises about European security in the future, that is no firm promises about French security.
Madame Bardoux watched, fascinated. The British had made a statement of principle and morals; Laval had wanted a concrete assurance.
Eden continued, “Let me turn to the question of sanctions.” He ran on for several sentences.
Laval replied, “Sanctions themselves might lead to war. We must go slowly here, one step at a time. And we cannot discuss a naval blockade. That would be war.”
Eden nodded in understanding; no steaming the Royal Navy about in the Mediterranean, he thought.
Laval stood up. “Let us first go to Geneva and proceed with the next step. Let us maintain a common Anglo-French front while maintaining friendship with Italy.”
The other men stood; Madame Bardoux rose as the men walked over towards the door. Laval escorted the two diplomats out to their limousine; Léger walked back across the room to Madame Bardoux and said, “Please prepare a set of minutes and notes. The foreign minister has kept the threat of Germany clearly in front, and he has not let the British diplomats forget that.”
They both left and returned to their offices upstairs.