740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/777: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 6—9:15 a.m.]
722. In a conversation with the Soviet Chargé d’Affaires regarding the recent tripartite London meeting he expressed the view that the relatively prompt acceptance by Germany and Italy89 of the invitation to attend the projected five-power Locarno conference was caused by a desire to conciliate British opinion at the time when the fact of Italian assistance to the Spanish insurgents became known.
Referring to the five-power Locarno conference he expressed considerable doubt whether the proceedings may permit the convocation later of a conference to which additional powers including Russia could be invited. He thought in fact that it was likely that Germany would seek to utilize the five-power conference as an opportunity for protest against Russia and communism as the great dangers to peace in Europe. Obviously he said if such should turn out to be the case there would be little hope of holding subsequently an enlarged conference with Russia participating.
Cipher copies to London, Rome, Berlin, Moscow.
- On July 31; for texts of the official Italian and German communiqués, see Documents on International Affairs, 1936, pp. 219 and 220.↩