802.01/128: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 31—1 p.m.]
1069. Your circular, October 28, 6 p.m. From conversation at the Foreign Office it would seem that the French are at present thinking along the following lines: It would be a great mistake to take any action regarding recognition which would tend to destroy the unity of decisions by dividing the country so to speak into two Spains. The French therefore are not likely to recognize a state of belligerency because in the first place such action would necessarily have the tendency mentioned above and in the second place it would inevitably lead to embarrassing situations through recognition of belligerent rights to visit and search neutral shipping.
[Page 548]The French believe that the Germans and Italians will recognize the Spanish insurgents shortly after the capture of Madrid but that the British will go more slowly. The present French Government relying for support on political groups of the Left parties which openly espouse the cause of the Madrid Government obviously must proceed with great caution in the question of recognizing any new regime in Spain.
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