852.00/4185: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 8:30 p.m.]
1294. We are told by a friend who saw Delbos today that the latter denied the stories printed in some papers to the effect that in his talk [Page 615] yesterday with the German Ambasador he had “warned” Germany against further intervention in Spain. In conversation with the Foreign Office this afternoon the denial was repeated upon receipt of further information and we were also told that there was “a good deal of exaggeration” in the London Times stories (widely reproduced here) to the effect that the French Government had advised the German Government that if the latter’s assistance to Franco increased perceptibly France will abandon the non-intervention policy.
The Foreign Office says that Delbos, in his talk with the German Ambassador yesterday, made an appeal “strong but calm” for German support for the efforts being made in the London Committee to render non-intervention really effective. Delbos pointed out that if there were to be strict control, of course, the sending of volunteers, and indeed, complete units to Spain would have to end. But there was no mention made, according to our informant, of France abandoning non-intervention and there is no consideration being given by the French Government to such a change of policy.
Whatever may have been said or not said to the German Ambassador it is our distinct impression that the attitude of the French Government towards German intervention in Spain has stiffened recently. The main reason for this is probably the success which the British seem to have achieved in winning the Italians away from the Spanish adventure. We were reliably told today that Rossi left the Balearic Islands yesterday and that Italian aviators and technical men are leaving Spain, also the French Foreign Office has reports that the food shortage in Germany is actually acute. It is our impression that the French probably feel that this is therefore the right moment to make a strong effort to get the Germans to abandon certain of their more alarming policies in return for economic cooperation.
As regards efforts to institute strict control over non-intervention in Spain the Foreign Office states that France is ready to adopt measures to put a complete stop to volunteers going to Spain, that Russia is “100 percent” in favor of such a move and that the Italians, thanks to the British, will probably fall in line.
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