852.00/6003: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:05 p.m.]
982. Continuing my 981.7 There was considerable discussion of the situation in China. Delbos said that a telegram from the French Ambassador in Tokyo received this morning indicated that the Japanese [Page 174] Government was making every effort to drum up war spirit for a large scale war. The French Ambassador in Tokyo was extremely pessimistic and believed that the Japanese were determined to take over North China as far as the Yellow River plus Shantung.
Delbos went on to say that he regretted greatly that it had not been possible for the British, French, and American Governments to make a joint démarche in Tokyo. The French Government was all ready to go along with the American and British Governments in any joint undertaking. As it had not been possible to do this he had invited the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires in Paris to visit him at 4 o’clock this afternoon and the Chinese Ambassador at 5 o’clock. He would counsel moderation and express the hope of the French Government that the incident might be settled peaceably. He inquired if I had any information with regard to the future action the American Government was likely to take and I replied that I had none. He asked me to let him know as soon as I might receive any information as to our views.
Both Delbos and Phipps9 agreed that inasmuch as neither Great Britain nor the United States seemed ready to intervene actively in the Far East little result could be expected from counsels of moderation. Delbos reiterated his statement that if Great Britain and the United States should be willing to intervene actively France would cooperate to the fullest extent possible.
The Chinese Ambassador stated to me this morning that Chiang Kai-shek’s troops had reached Peiping and that cooperation was perfect between the troops of the Central Government and those of General Sung’s Army. They concur further that the Japanese had attempted an attack yesterday which had been ended by the Chinese artillery which had dropped shells on two Japanese trucks loaded with ammunition demolishing them and all the Japanese soldiers nearby.
Both Delbos and Phipps expressed the opinion that it would be disastrous to the League of Nations if China should call on the League to deal with this question. The League would be unable to refuse to take up the matter but the absolute impotence of the League would once more be demonstrated. Delbos added that in his conversation with the Chilean [Chinese?] Ambassador on this question he had remarked, “You might as well call on the moon for help as on the League of Nations.”
Delbos went on to say that he hoped that the Government of the United States would act under Article 7 of the Washington Agreement and asked me for the opinion of my Government on this proposal. I replied that I had no information.
[Page 175]I asked Delbos if he had any information from Germany which might indicate that the German Government expected to take advantage of the present situation to act against either Austria or Czechoslovakia. He said that he had talked with Francois-Poncet10 on the telephone this morning and that Poncet had expressed the opinion that the Germans were not contemplating an immediate move against Austria or Czechoslovakia.
I should be greatly obliged if the Department would inform me with regard to the line I should take in further conversations on the Far Eastern situation with the French Government.
- Vol. i, p. 360.↩
- Sir Eric Clare Edmund Phipps, British Ambassador in France.↩
- André François-Poncet, French Ambassador in Germany.↩