600.0031 World Program/194: Telegram
The Ambassador in Frame (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:15 p.m.]
1150. As of possible interest to the Department, I venture to report that the Belgian Ambassador to Berlin with whom I lunched today stated to me that as a result of conversations he had had in Berlin Hitler was ready now to issue a declaration regarding the inviolability of Belgium on all fours with the French and British statements of April last.
He added that he had urged Van Zeeland to seize the moment to obtain such a declaration from Hitler arguing that Hitler would be [Page 117] likely to change his mind on the subject in the future. Van Zeeland had refused as he still hoped to be able to work out agreement on a Western pact.
The Belgian Ambassador to Berlin also said that he had urged Van Zeeland strongly to visit Hitler at Berchtesgaden this summer. Van Zeeland was loath to do so as he knew he would have to discuss German-Belgian relations as well as the general economic problems on which he is working. He added that Van Zeeland feared if he should decide to visit Germany he must first visit France on the same trip.