760F.62/1160: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 27—2:30 p.m.]
1617. I have just [finished] talking with Bonnet. He assured me that he and Daladier would get out this afternoon a statement on all fours with Chamberlain’s statement of last night guaranteeing that the Czechs would carry out faithfully the obligations they had undertaken to turn over the Sudeten territories to Germany. He also said that they would attempt to have appointed the members of the International Commission within 24 hours.
[Page 681]Massigli telephoned to me this afternoon and asked if I thought the United States would be willing to select a member to serve on this International Commission and I replied that I thought it was most doubtful that we would wish to appoint a representative to the Commission.
I then asked Bonnet if there was anything new in the situation.
He astounded me by saying that there was one thing which he could tell me under the seal of absolute secrecy, positively not to be transmitted by telephone to America since it would be overheard. The French Foreign Office and the British Foreign Office today were engaged in working out a plan to give to Germany before October 1st full possession of the regions which Czechoslovakia had promised to turn over to Germany.
I expressed my surprise pointing out that that would mean a complete about face in the position Daladier and Chamberlain had taken. Bonnet said that frankly it was true and that he personally thought there was a great deal in the German argument that since they were to get these districts eventually, why not now.
I pointed out that the Czechs had agreed to give up these districts in return for an international guarantee and if the Czechs were to give up these districts without a guarantee they would be powerless and would subject themselves to immediate attacks by the Poles as well as the Hungarians. I added that I felt sure the Czechs would refuse and said that I could not see clearly the object of this latest move. Bonnet replied that the truth was that he could not see his way clearly any longer in the entire situation and he really did not know quite what to do.
My conviction is that, although Bonnet may be working on this line with some members of the British Foreign Office, Daladier positively will not assent to any such proposal.