852.00/4328: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 11—4:10 p.m.]
37. For Moore. I called on President Lebrun this afternoon and asked him for his opinion about the situation in Morocco.
He said that he did not believe that the Germans had any intention of making trouble in Morocco at the present time. He added that the French press had made a mountain out of a mole hill in a manner which was most distasteful to him.
He stated that the Spanish authorities in Morocco had denied most categorically all the allegations of German troop debarkations. He then pointed out that individual Germans had a perfect right to go to Spanish Morocco and work there and added that the French Government had no real information with respect to debarkation of German military units.
I gathered the impression that he felt most decidedly that the entire explosion in Paris had been a great mistake.
In discussing the general situation Lebrun expressed the opinion that Germany would not dare to attempt war in the near future and then said that Germany would not, he was sure, begin a conflict by an advance in Morocco where any German forces could be isolated at once by the French and British fleets.