852.00/3977: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 3—3:15 p.m.]
593. The following conversation with the Foreign Office may be of interest in connection with Paris Embassy’s 1171, December 1, 1 p.m.23
Foreign Office believes the Spanish conflict may drag on for an extended period but considers Germany determined to secure success for the Franco forces in contrast to the Soviets who take a longer view and would be willing for want of [omission?] better to seek their ultimate ends through less obvious means than tests of military strength in the present conflict.
While no hope of any positive results of the Committee of Nonintervention in connection with proposed supervision of the importation of war material into Spain by land and sea or limitation of foreign “volunteers” in Spanish forces, Foreign Office points out that all the nations represented thereon are really desirous of limiting the scope of the conflict to Spain. Foreign Office considers that in the fact that the Spanish Government is not represented on this Committee may be found the reason that the Spanish Government was desirous of the Council of the League of Nations meeting scheduled for December 10 in order that it might put its case before public attention. Mr. Eden is expected to attend this meeting and it will lie within the decision of the Council whether or not any representative of General Franco shall be present.
Foreign Office considers that the internal conflict of French opinion over the internal situation causes the French Government to be unduly apprehensive as to its dangers.
Copy to Paris.
- Not printed.↩