852.00/6139: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:15 p.m.]
1092–1094. Returning from Montfaucon to Paris yesterday I had 3 hours of conversation with Chautemps and Delbos.
They discussed the Spanish situation and decided that if the present discussions in London should reach absolute deadlock France would propose that the old system of control should be reestablished and the question of withdrawal of “volunteers” and recognition of Franco’s belligerency reserved for future discussion.
They stated that meanwhile France had made preparations for any eventuality. The army in French Morocco was prepared to march into Spanish Morocco. They believed that in case of need the French Army would be able to occupy the whole of Spanish Morocco in 3 or 4 days. They also stated that preparation had been made for an attack on Sardinia from Corsica.
I asked what France would do in case there should be no agreement and further shipment of Italian troops to Spain. Delbos said that France would be obliged to support the Valencia Government by supplying munitions and permitting soldiers to go through and from France. This would be intensely dangerous but France could not permit Italy to take control of Spain.
Both Chautemps and Delbos discussed the British position, Delbos contributing the fact that Eden had told him frankly that he would prefer to see Franco win and that he believed that Great Britain could make an agreement with Franco which would ensure the departure of Germans and Italians from Spain. Chautemps pointed out that France was in a peculiarly unfortunate position diplomatically to take steps. England was engaged in negotiations of one sort and another with Germany and Italy and Spain counting on the readiness of [Page 370] France to support England at all points. France on the other hand was engaged in no negotiations with either Germany or Italy or Franco and had no control over the course of events.
I asked if François-Poncet had made no further efforts to have serious conversations in Berlin looking toward Franco-German understanding. Delbos asserted that Poncet had made efforts recently but had received no response on the German side.
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