852.00/5797: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 22—5:45 p.m.]
835. In conversation today with a responsible Foreign Office official he said that the French Government had received no information which would furnish a satisfactory explanation for the brusque decision of the Germans to postpone Von Neurath’s visit to London. The French Government greatly regrets this postponement and the fact that because of it and because of the German attitude in the matter of the alleged torpedo attack on the Leipzig the improvement in the international situation which was noted a few days ago has suffered a setback.
The Foreign Office is at a loss to understand the motive for the change in the German attitude. They are not inclined to believe that Germany wishes to involve herself more deeply in the Spanish situation; nor do they put stock in the somewhat facile explanation heard in some quarters that with troubled conditions in Russia and the governmental upset in France Germany may believe the moment favorable for action in central Europe; the officials with whom we talked said that no satisfactory proof has been submitted to substantiate the claim of an attack by Valencia submarines. He added that while the French and British Governments were prepared to consider a joint warning by the four naval control powers to the Valencia Government, they obviously could not agree to the German demand for a “mass action” against the Spanish Government as a punishment for the alleged submarine attack.