851.50/164: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 10—12:40 p.m.]
739.
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3. Daladier said that he had opened the French frontier to Spain as completely as possible. He had even done more. After the recent successful offensive of General Franco the Russians had indicated their willingness to send 300 planes to the Spanish Government if France would make arrangements for their transshipment across France to Spain. He had transported the 300 planes across France successfully in the largest trucks available although he had had to cut down many miles of trees along the sides of roads in order that the large bombers might pass.
Daladier added that when he was in London recently Chamberlain had said to him that the Duke of Alba58 had reported this transshipment of 300 planes to Spain and had asked if the report of the Duke of Alba were true. He had replied, “Of course it is true and I shall ship through France anything that any country wishes to send to [Page 193] Spain. Moreover I shall continue this policy until the German and Italian planes have been withdrawn from Spain. The agreement for withdrawal of volunteers must be accompanied by an agreement for withdrawal of material aid.”
Chamberlain had replied that the Soviet attitude would mean tremendous difficulties for the Committee of Non-intervention as it might be easy to get agreement on the withdrawal of volunteers but it would be impossible to get agreement on the withdrawal of material. Daladier said that he had maintained his position and that Chamberlain had merely smiled and noted it.
Daladier stated that Franco had had at his disposal in his recent successful offensive 700 German and Italian planes. The Spanish Government had had only 117. The 300 plane shipment referred to above had been of such assistance to the Government that a fresh Government offensive was planned for tomorrow to coincide with the meeting of the League of Nations.
4. Italy: Daladier said that Chamberlain was extremely proud of his agreement with Italy and believed that the Italians would withdraw from the Balearic Islands. Daladier said that he had commented that if the Italians had promised to do this it was the surest indication that they probably would not and had asked Chamberlain what he would do if the Italians should not keep this promise. Chamberlain had replied that he would take action. Daladier said he had replied that he was delighted to hear the word “action” which had been somewhat infrequent in Great Britain’s dealings with Italy.
Daladier said that in spite of his skepticism with regard to Mussolini’s promises there was unquestionably a change in Italy’s attitude toward France. He attributed this in part to the arrival of German troops on the Brenner Pass and in part to the action of God who had destroyed a considerable portion of the Italian harvests of this year. Mussolini would not have sufficient money to buy the wheat and other foodstuffs that he would need to feed his civilian population and at the same time carry on campaigns in Spain and Abyssinia. The conversations between France and Italy were proceeding most satisfactorily and Italy had offered precisely what the French wanted with regard to Tunis. There would be no more difficulties about the question of Italian nationality in Tunis. He expected a complete Franco-Italian agreement to be ready to sign the end of next week.
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- For text of paragraph 2 of this telegram, see p. 493; and for text of paragraph 5, see vol. iii, p. 164.↩
- Special agent of General Franco in London.↩