740.00/791: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:06 p.m.]
724. In discussing with Rochat this afternoon the declaration made by Daladier and Chamberlain of a Franco-British guarantee of Greece and Rumania, he stated the following: When after the German seizure of Czechoslovakia on March 15 the French and British Governments began consultations with a view to preventing further acts of aggression their immediate preoccupation had been Rumania which appeared to be next in line for an attack by Germany. In working out their policy, however, they were forced by the course of events to begin with the British guarantee of Poland.
The Italian aggression on Albania then called for a guarantee of Greece and Turkey (the guarantee of Turkey has already been agreed upon and should be announced before long; the delay Rochat said has been due to the fact that “the British started their talks in Ankara a bit late”). A guarantee of Poland, Greece and Turkey with nothing said about Rumania would have been a virtual invitation to Hitler to go ahead against Rumania and would thereby have defeated the primary objective of the Franco-British policy namely to keep Rumania with its oil resources out of Hitler’s hands. The British had at first wished to delay the Rumanian guarantee until Poland would give a like guarantee.
The French, however, had felt that this would be placing Rumania’s safety in Beck’s hands and that Beck might be tempted to save his own country by allowing German aggression to be directed against Rumania. The British had finally agreed to join the French in the guarantee of Rumania without making this dependent upon action by Poland.
Rochat said that undoubtedly the German and Italian Governments had expected that Greece would be covered by the French and British declaration. The guarantee of Rumania, however, will come as a distinctly disagreeable surprise and it may be expected that there will be a violent outburst on the theme of “encirclement.” Whether Hitler’s reaction will take a more dangerous form remains to be seen.
[Page 130]We inquired what the position of Yugoslavia would be now that Greece, Rumania, and for all practical purposes, Turkey are covered by the Franco-British guarantee. Rochat said that while France and Great Britain would have to consider what they could do in the event of a German move against Yugoslavia the situation of that country appeared to be a difficult one. He spoke of the errors of Stoyadino-vitch’s1 “realistic” policy in seeking to play off first Germany against Italy and then Italy against Germany. He also referred to the deterioration of Yugoslavia’s military strength and of the uncertain political situation of the country. The French Government, however, has received no information leading it to believe that Germany intends any immediate action against Yugoslavia.
- Milan Stoyadinovitch, former Yugoslav Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩