852.00/8376
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 19.]
Sir: It is generally understood here that the effective closing of France’s Spanish frontier to the delivery of war materials to the Barcelona Government and of the despatch of volunteers to Spain dates from June 13. The Department will, of course, recall from my telegrams that I was informed early in June that the frontier had been virtually closed since about the end of May.
Recently, the Italian press has renewed the attack on French policy with respect to the Spanish situation by alleging that France is again permitting the delivery of war materials to the Barcelona Government. These allegations, and the deduction drawn from them that French policy with respect to Spain renders impossible the conclusion at this time of a serious and useful accord between Paris and Rome, have appeared so persistently in the Italian press, and particularly in connection with the return to Paris early this month of the French Chargé d’Affaires at Rome for the purpose, presumably, of conferring with M. Bonnet concerning Franco-Italian relations and the possible resumption of negotiations looking to a Franco-Italian accord, that the Quai d’Orsay has issued two official denials, one of a somewhat mild and general nature on August 5th, and another, yesterday, of precise and emphatic refutation, which has been given prominence in all of the Paris newspapers this morning. The texts of these denials are transmitted herewith.85
Where the truth lies in this matter, it is difficult to say. The Department will recall that, in his telegram No. 1004 of July 14 [15], 10 [5] a.m., our Chargé d’Affaires at Barcelona reported having seen, on the previous day, several truck-loads of what appeared to be packed aeroplanes on their way to Barcelona from Le Havre. However, the campaign which the Left press in Paris has been carrying on recently against the Government’s policy with respect to Spain indicates that the border is effectively closed, or nearly so, to shipments of war materials to the loyalist Government. At any rate, these journals, and particularly Humanité, urge, in view of Franco’s long delay in replying to the non-intervention Committee’s plan, that the French border be reopened and that the 40-million dollars of gold deposited with the Bank of France by the Bank of Spain in 1931 be turned over to the Barcelona Government. On July 6 the Appellate Court upheld the right of the Bank of France to withhold delivery of this gold to [Page 233] the Bank of Spain of Barcelona on the grounds that, although the Barcelona bank is closely associated with the State, it could not be identified with the State and, therefore, delivery could not be effected without the danger that the Bank of France might be called upon to pay twice.
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy
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