852.01/464: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 20—6:56 p.m.]
331. We asked Rochat today for an informal résumé of the Spanish situation. He said Berard’s second visit to Burgos, which is authorized by the Council of Ministers and is therefore official, constituting de facto recognition of the Franco Government, has for its primary purpose intervention looking to the termination of hostilities and a discussion of the humanitarian phase of the Spanish affair. He said that Berard was not empowered to discuss economic or financial questions and that these would be left for the French Ambassador when appointed. He said that no decision had been taken concerning the eventual selection of such an Ambassador and he had no idea who might be chosen. He said that the fact that Baraduc of the Economic Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompanied Berard should not be misconstrued to mean that economic questions were up for discussion. Baraduc is simply a personal and trusted friend of Berard.
According to Rochat, Azana continues to waver and vacillate. One moment he is ready to resign and the next his sense of loyalty gains the upper hand and he feels that he should resist until some protection for the Loyalists in central Spain is exacted.
Rochat says that the Ministry is disappointed in Franco’s unyielding attitude and he feels that Franco has missed an opportunity to gain world favor by a magnanimous gesture. Rochat points out that the Loyalists in central Spain are trapped and that without some hope of clemency they have no alternative but to drag out hostilities to the bitter end. We inquired as to his estimate of the duration of time and he said that anything from a few hours to 6 weeks. He said of course that he believes the termination of actual hostilities will only mark the beginning of the real struggle in Spain.