852.00/5595: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 1, 1937—1:45 p.m.]
183. 1. Del Vayo last evening transmitted a communication to the Secretary General which I mentioned as expected in my No. 177, May 31, 3 p.m.98
[Page 316]The communication recalls his Government’s misgivings respecting the naval patrol arrangements in confirmation of which it cites the Deutschland incident asserting that the Spanish planes were first fired on by the German warship; it informs the League States of the bombardment of Almeria which is termed a “fresh flagrant act of aggression” constituting “the greatest outrage against an independent and sovereign state of all the acts of aggression committed by the German Fleet” and in emphasizing the gravity of the situation speaks of the announcement of the despatch of further German warships to the Mediterranean. I understand that the United Press is carrying full text.
2. Respecting the possibility of League action, the situation upon the departure of the delegations last evening was that the British and French were opposing the convoking of an extraordinary Council while the Russians were to a degree advocating it. The withdrawal of Germany and Italy from the Non-intervention Committee has its bearing here in weakening the Anglo-French contentions that the question be left to the Committee rather than to the League. Elements here which have consistently decried action taken “outside the Covenant” as lessening the League’s prestige cite these withdrawals as a rebuttal of Eden’s assertion respecting the efficacy of the Committee and in this they are supported by certain small power delegations. In my view however the Foreign Office[s] of the small powers will not be favorable to League action inasmuch as it might develop into a situation wherein they would be confronted with the inconsistency between their recent pronouncements of neutrality in European politics and their obligation to take a possibly partisan position under the Covenant, a situation which they have apparently preferred for the time being to leave in obscurity.
I am authoritatively informed that Avenol99 states that a summoning of the Council would be a disaster. A member of the Spanish delegation told me in confidence that Del Vayo had talked to Valencia by telephone, that the Spanish Government had displayed a strong inclination to convoke the Council but that Del Vayo in view of the general political situation had advised against it and that this is where the question now rested. A member of the British delegation said to me that if a Council were held it would presumably meet in London. From the adverse attitude here it would seem that a Council meeting were improbable. However should Valencia formally request the meeting its convening would be technically imperative.