740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/721: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Mayer) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 3—3:15 p.m.]
206. British Embassy has recently been urging German Government anew to make some form of reply to questionnaire. General opinion here has again veered toward the likelihood of an early reply either by note or by statements which Hitler may make at party meeting at Weimar tomorrow or the next day.
I had a long and most interesting conversation this morning with the French Ambassador and afterwards with the French Counsellor. François-Poncet discussed at some length his own policy, hitherto not accepted by the French Government, which would favor playing with the Germans, endeavoring by every possible means to come to grips with them and discuss the various Franco-German problems with a view either to their satisfactory settlement for which there is probably little chance or in the alternative to confront Germany before the world with its responsibilities. In essence this policy is very similar to that which Phipps has stated to me as his own and which I believe is the policy the British would prefer to follow toward Germany but which has always been thwarted by the French Government. Indeed it is the policy I have always felt was the only possible one to pursue and which I have termed “calling Hitler’s bluff for peace”. François-Poncet was quite frank in saying that his policy has never beeen accepted because no French Government had the courage to face public opinion with such suggestions.
From my talk with him this morning and with Arnal, the French Counsellor, I got the impression, however, that both Blum and Delbos66 were more susceptible to the above ideas and were most anxious to have Germany participate in the so-called Locarno discussions at Brussels. To this end the French may not be too insistent on their former position with respect to the obstacle which the Rhineland reoccupation constituted vis-à-vis Franco-German discussion.
[Page 316]Incidentally the French Embassy think that the Germans are quite fearful of imminent possibility of a monarchical restoration in Austria at Mussolini’s initiative.
Repeated to Paris, London, Rome, Geneva by mail.
- Yvon Delbos, French Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩