740.00/1207: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 28—2:40 p.m.]
846. I discussed Hitler’s speech to the Reichstag with Leger shortly after its delivery.
Leger said that three thoughts in particular had occurred to him.
The President had asked Hitler to guarantee not to attack any other country and Hitler had replied by tearing up the only promise which he had made not to attack another country; to wit: his non-aggression pact with Poland.
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- He had reinforced this belligerent attitude by denouncing his naval agreement with England.
- 3.
- Hitler had talked volubly about justice and right but had not indicated his intention to permit justice and right to interfere with the enslavement of the Czechs and the Slovaks. Leger expressed the opinion that in the near future the statesmen of all the democratic states should call Hitler’s attention to the fact that virtue with him should begin at home with Czechoslovakia.
- 4.
- Leger felt that in spite of the gnashing carnivore tone of Hitler’s speech, the absence of concrete proposals indicated that Hitler was not certain that he could strike with success.
Leger was inclined to believe that while Hitler might attack Poland in the near future he probably would not; but would attempt by threats to reduce Poland to a state of quivering fear, so that the Poles themselves would sign away their rights and interests in the manner of Hacha50 and the Czechoslovaks.
The French Government is most pleased by the conversations which Daladier, Bonnet51 and Leger have had with Gafencu52 and feels that it will not be long before the entire system of mutual aid involving Poland, Rumania, Turkey and the Soviet Union will be established.
The present position of France and England vis-à-vis the Soviet Union is as indicated in my telegrams number 810, April 24, 2 p.m., and 818, April 25, 5 p.m.53 The French have been unable to convince the British that their proposal is better than the British proposal, and the Soviet Union has not yet replied to either proposal.
The French Foreign Office has received information from both Greece and Rumania today to the effect that the Yugoslav Government has assured the Rumanian and Greek Governments that it has not entered into and does not intend to enter into a pact with Italy, Germany, Hungary and Bulgaria designed to break up the Balkan Entente.