760F.62/1270: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 28—4:14 p.m.]
1636. I have just discussed with Bonnet Hitler’s invitation to Mussolini, Daladier and Chamberlain to meet him at Munich at 2 o’clock tomorrow.
Bonnet said that the invitation was issued at 3:15 this afternoon. Daladier had of course accepted at once. He would fly tomorrow morning to Munich and on arrival there would be met by François-Poncet, French Ambassador in Berlin. He, Bonnet, had not been invited to go. Bonnet said that the source of this invitation of Hitler’s was in his opinion manifold. Chamberlain had sent Hitler another message saying that the difference between the proposals brought back by Horace Wilson from Berlin and the proposals of the French and British was so small that it would not only be horrible but utterly ridiculous to have war. He, Chamberlain, therefore intended to go to Germany again tomorrow to talk with Hitler and clear up the difference.
[Page 692]Bonnet went on to say that after Hitler received this message from Chamberlain he received the President’s second message which had affected him greatly.
François-Poncet called on Hitler shortly after his receipt of the President’s message. He found a completely deflated gentleman who talked in the most reasonable manner for an hour and a half. Poncet had verified that Hitler had said “I don’t want war in Europe and the only reason I want to walk into Czechoslovakia is because of this.” He then pointed to a huge pile of letters on his desk and said that each one contained horrible stories from Sudeten Germans and added that the Czechs were using their last few days of rule to inflict every form of suffering possible on the Sudeten.
Poncet then proposed to Hitler that German troops should occupy the regions outside the Czechoslovak fortifications immediately and had stated that the French and British Governments were entirely ready to have French and British troops accompany the German troops and arrange the evacuation of the Czechoslovak Army. Hitler had been most impressed by this idea.
Bonnet said that an additional element in the situation was that Halifax had sent a message to Mussolini92 asking him to join in the efforts of France and England to preserve peace and that Mussolini had responded.
Bonnet was absolutely confident that this conference would bring a settlement of the question of Czechoslovakia without war.
I pointed out to Bonnet that the Poles would be furious because they had been omitted from Hitler’s invitation and suggested to him that it was an excellent opportunity for him to renew relations with the Polish Ambassador in Paris who has refused to speak to him for about 10 days. He said that he would do so at once.
The feeling of relief in Paris tonight is comparable to the feeling of relief when the news came that the armistice had been signed.93