Office of the Historian

852.00/5686: Telegram

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, June 9, 1937—3 p.m.
[Received 5:25 p.m.]

110. Although Moscow is endeavoring to play the role of an interested spectator instead of an active participant in the events which are taking place in Western Europe, it is thought that perhaps this Mission’s appraisal of the Soviet attitude with respect to these events may be useful to the Department at this time: [Page 327]

1.
The Soviet press, which during recent months has been full of bitter attacks upon Germany and Italy, greeted the bombardment of Almeria with numerous editorials and articles tending to show that: (a) Germany had deliberately provoked the incident in order to find an excuse for freeing itself from the restraining influence of the Non-Intervention Committee; (b) Soviet press and officials have been correct in warning Great Britain and France of the futility of endeavoring to curb German aggression by following policies of conciliation and concession; (c) German and Italian intervention in Spain has developed into open warfare and the peace of all Europe is gravely menaced; (d) the best method for preserving European peace would be for Great Britain and France to abandon their conciliatory policies and to unite at once with other peace-loving powers in calling the bluff of the Fascist aggressors; (e) Blomberg has gone to Rome in order to inspect the Italian armed forces and to ascertain the advisability of the conclusion of a formal German-Italian military alliance which would be aimed first against Spain and eventually against other countries which might endeavor to obstruct the execution of the German-Italian program in Europe.
2.
The Kremlin has taken advantage of the indignation aroused among international labor circles again to demand that the Second and Amsterdam Internationals form with the Communist International an international labor front “for the purpose of establishing world unity of action against the military intervention of Germany and Italy in Spain”. The Embassy is convinced, from such information as it has been able to obtain, that the Kremlin is willing to offer considerable concessions in so far as its own open and direct leadership of the world revolutionary movement through the medium of the Communist International is concerned in order to achieve such a front.
3.
Soviet officials show reluctance in discussing developments in Spain and Western Europe. A responsible official of the Foreign Office nevertheless has told me that:
(a)
In the opinion of the Soviet Government the situation for Europe is extremely dangerous and that unless Great Britain and France give Italy and Germany categorically to understand that no further acts of intervention or aggression will be tolerated a general European war is likely to evolve.
(b)
The dispatch of additional German war vessels and submarines to Spain is causing the Soviet Government considerable concern.
(c)
Reports which the Soviet Government has received from Valencia indicate that the Spanish Government feels that the talks of the Secretary of State with the German and Spanish Ambassadors in Washington have been particularly helpful.
(d)
The Soviet Government hopes that the United States will find it possible to join with France and Great Britain to the extent of bringing at least moral pressure to bear upon Germany and Italy.
4.
No information is available here which would indicate that the Soviet Government has directly endeavored to persuade the Spanish Government to bomb German or Italian war vessels in Nationalist waters. It seems quite possible, however, that Soviet officials in line with their general European policies did advise the Spanish Government to show stiffer opposition to Italian and German interference and that this advice may have contributed to the Spanish decision to bomb the Deutschland. Regardless of whether Soviet officials may or may not have had some share of responsibility for the bombing, the Embassy is convinced from the attitude of Soviet officials and the press that the Soviet Government welcomed the incidents in the hope that they would put a stop to the temporizing policies of France and Great Britain and that it is deeply disappointed at the failure of these two powers to take a firmer stand in the matter. Both the Soviet press and the Spanish Ambassador have denied that the pilots of the planes which bombed the Deutschland were Soviet nationals.

Henderson