800.51W89 France/1057: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 1—4 p.m.]
1178. Continuing my 1177, December 1, 7 p.m.20 We21 then had a long discussion with respect to Spain and the general European situation. He states that he had received indications from England that the British Government would join the French Government in bringing pressure on the Italian, German and Soviet Governments to stop all support of the warring factions in Spain and propose mediation. He admitted that he had small hope of this proposal being accepted by either Germany or Italy.
[Page 584]He said that he had just received this morning specific information that a large number of German soldiers and officers had embarked yesterday at Hamburg for Cadiz and Vigo to join Franco’s armies. He said that he expected a descent in force on Barcelona by the Italians based on the Balearic Islands.
He finally returned to the question of our interest in peace in Europe and asked me if I did not believe the President could cooperate in the field of the reduction of economic barriers and the field of disarmament.
I replied that in my opinion the President could and would cooperate in both these fields; that he was deeply interested in the maintenance of peace in Europe and would do everything that he could within the limits set by the welfare of the people of the United States and by American public opinion.
In my personal letter to you of November 2922 I have gone into this entire question more fully.
- Vol. i, p. 587.↩
- Mr. Bullitt and Leon Blum, French Premier.↩
- Not found in Department files.↩