760F.62/248: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 11—8:30 a.m.]
745. My 739, May 9, 7 p.m. The impression I derived from my conversation with Daladier regarding possible French action in case of a German attack on Czechoslovakia was confirmed last night when Chautemps25 expressed to me his belief that aside from protesting France would do “absolutely nothing”.
On the other hand Léger said to me yesterday that if Germany should attack Czechoslovakia France automatically would go to war at once and England inevitably would be obliged to follow.
I have talked with many other French politicians since my return and I believe that the point of view expressed by Léger is much further away from reality than the point of view expressed by Daladier and Chautemps.
Incidentally Paul Reynaud26 does not expect the present financial and economic difficulties of France to be worked out satisfactorily in the immediate future and looks forward to a day when he will be Minister of Finance in a cabinet of National Union that will extend from the Communists to the extreme Right.