851.51/2438: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:45 p.m.]
1512. Bonnet71 volunteered the information, without question from me, that he had been, and still was, extremely hostile to the continuation of shipment of munitions through French Indo-China to China.72 [Page 151] He said that the situation in Europe was such that it was absolutely impossible for France to continue these shipments unless France should receive real guarantees of assistance from Great Britain and the United States in case Japan should act against Indo-China. I did not comment on this statement.
Bonnet went on to say that he considered Van Zeeland dead as a political figure in Europe.… The hopes that Van Zeeland might lay the basis for European reconciliation, therefore, must be considered extinguished. He did not see any one who could replace Van Zeeland in this role. The only possibility he could see of preserving European peace lay in direct negotiations between France and Germany. To produce a rapprochement between France and Germany would be impossible without the friendly encouragement of some outside power. England, in pursuance of her traditional policy, would sabotage any real rapprochement. He could see no power except the United States that might assist.
- Georges Bonnet, French Minister for Finance.↩
- See vol. iii, pp. 623–686, passim.↩