852.00/4141
Memorandum by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State and Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Dunn)
The French Ambassador telephoned this morning at nine o’clock to inquire whether any reply had been received from the Acting Secretary’s reference to the Secretary of the Anglo-French proposal relative to mediation in the Spanish conflict. I informed him that no reply had been received up to this morning.
This evening at my house the British Ambassador in a personal message left with me the following memorandum which he had received from his Government:
“It appears that the French Government has already been approached by several Latin American Governments on the possibility of some form of mediation in the Spanish conflict, and holds that great advantage may be expected from any support of world opinion for the Anglo-French initiative. It therefore contemplates giving publicity to this initiative, perhaps in the very near future, and is proposing to notify the four Governments in this sense.
“It is thus evident that a statement by the President, as has been proposed, would be of the utmost value if issued immediately on publication of the Anglo-French action.”
The Ambassador in his personal message called attention to the urgency of the message.