852.00/4062a: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Bullitt)34
517. I have issued the following statement to the press today:
“It is announced by the Governments of Great Britain and France that they have invited the Governments of Germany, Italy, Russia and Portugal to join them in a mediation offer to end the Spanish Civil War. It is the very earnest hope of our Government that the six nations mentioned may find a peaceful method of accomplishing the great purpose in view. This expression represents no deviation from our well-known policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries. It simply voices, as I am certain, the deep distress of the American people that Spain should be involved in a bitter conflict marked by heavy loss of life and indescribable suffering. The conflict affords fresh and inescapable evidence that in these days the perils of war are not confined to the actual combatants, bad as that is, but extend to the entire population within reach of the deadly instruments now employed,—to helpless men, women and children—and that no limit can be set to its devastating effects. Human intellect, which has shown its capacity to dreadfully increase beyond what was once dreamed possible, the horrors and wreckage of war, should surely be able to devise expedients to bring about cessation of the present struggle and, as time goes on, turn all nations away from war as an utterly senseless and ruinous means of settling domestic and international controversies.
I may say that I have kept the President and Secretary Hull fully informed concerning this matter and that they are in full accord with this statement.”
Replying to correspondents’ questions, I inform them that the reason for the statement at this time was the public notice in the press that effort was being made by European countries to mediate in the Spanish conflict.
In this connection, I am deeply concerned over the procedure followed by the French Foreign Office in releasing to the press, often in a distorted form, information received from their representatives here. We are anxious to carry on a frank interchange of views with the French Embassy and feel that they are entitled to our ideas on matters they bring before us, but unless I feel that our views as confidentially expressed are to be so treated by the French Government, it [Page 607] will not be possible for me to go as far in discussing matters as I would like to. I am disturbed by this situation and, if you deem it advisable, you may so inform Delbos. You recall the manner in which the press dealt with your talk on its debt.35
- Sent also to the Embassy at London as telegram No. 442, with the exception of the last paragraph.↩
- See vol. i, pp. 580–588.↩