852.00/6164: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received—1:28 p.m.]
1116. In the course of a brief conversation last night Chautemps said to me that he had proposed to the British that they should attempt to obtain reimposition of the Spanish control system while reserving the questions of withdrawal of “volunteers” and recognition of Franco’s belligerence for future and simultaneous discussion (see my 1092 to 1094 August 2, 11 a.m.). The British had agreed to make this proposal provided they should know in advance that it would be accepted by Germany, Italy and the Soviet Union as well as France. He had had the utmost difficulty in persuading the Soviet Union to accept this proposal. Indeed he was not sure that he had succeeded as his discussion with the Soviet Ambassador had continued until the moment of our meeting.
Chautemps went on to say that he felt the position of France would be intensely difficult if the Spanish Non-intervention Committee should collapse entirely and therefore was making every effort to keep it alive. In case the nations represented in the Spanish Nonintervention Committee should regain their liberty of action the French parties which support his Government would demand immediate deliveries of French munitions and other support for Spain. Inasmuch as all French munition factories were now under control of the French Government it would be impossible to say that the French Government was not intervening on the side of the Valencia Government. The result would be that Italy and Germany would increase their deliveries to Franco at a headlong rate and a situation would develop which would threaten war. Furthermore there would be great division of French opinion on this subject as some of the parties of the Right would object violently to active support of the Valencia Government.