751.62/510: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 6—9:40 a.m.]
693. The French Chargé d’Affaires tells me that the Franco-German agreement will briefly embody three features: mutual respect of existing boundaries, consultation as envisaged by the Munich arrangement, and political understanding without invalidating of the political treaties or special relationships of either party with third states. He pointed out that the Franco-Soviet treaty was thereby touched.
[Page 108]He said that he had information which he himself was satisfied was true that the Italian Embassy here had under instructions twice protested against Germany’s making this agreement with France before French-Italian relations had reached a settlement but that Ribbentrop had told Attolico43 as coming from Hitler that although Berlin felt very friendly toward Rome “Berlin’s policy was Berlin’s policy and that it would be pursued.” He interpreted the demonstrations in the Rome Chamber as part of an attempt to torpedo the agreement.
I may say that it is very difficult to appraise the foregoing. There is naturally much talk here as to the meaning of this Franco-German development in terms of great power relationships but I encounter nothing which is not apparently based on pure speculation. From the German angle, however, I myself see this as consistent with a Berlin policy to seal her western frontiers while remaining open to the east. To the extent that this is effective it naturally has a bearing on the politico-military strategy of the western world with particular reference to Great Britain and perhaps and possibly to a degree to the United States.
Ribbentrop left last night for Paris accompanied by an unexpectedly large entourage of about 30 persons. Among these were the directors of the economic and the press sections of the Foreign Office. The Chargé is of the belief that special endeavors will be made in Paris for an augmenting of Franco-German commerce and that presumably among other questions press relations would be discussed. Any developments of a concrete nature which the meeting might produce beyond the formal agreement might he felt be embodied in joint declarations.
Repeated to Paris and Rome.
- Bernardo Attolico, Italian Ambassador to Germany.↩