Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, General, Volume I

740.0011 European War 1939/3052: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State

Paris, May 16, 1940—11 a.m.
[Received May 16—7:21 a.m.]

692. For the President. Paul Reynaud⁵⁹ said to me at 10:20 this morning that the news which I did not dare to put in frank form in my telegram No. 690 of last night to you⁶⁰ recounting my conversation with Daladier⁶¹ while Gamelin⁶² telephoned was true.

The Belgian Army south of Namur had collapsed completely. The Germans had poured through this gap motorized units. These motorized units had now reached the region of Laon and Reims.

The hole made by the collapse of the Belgian Army had not been filled to the slightest degree and the German Army was pouring through it all its motorized and mechanized divisions.

The final and most horrible and incredible blow was that all the railroad workers of Belgium had gone on strike and were refusing to transport French troops.

In consequence it appeared to be impossible to hope that the hole could be stopped.

Reynaud concluded his statements to me by the words “I am sorry for the democracies”.

Bullitt

59. French Premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
60. Not printed.
61. Edouard Daladier, French Minister of National Defense and War; became Minister for Foreign Affairs on May 18, 1940.
62. Maurice Gamelin, Commander in Chief of the French Army.