852.00/8503: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Bowers), Then in France, to the Secretary of State
[Received September 28—2:48 p.m.]
535. Conversations with outstanding Francoists including Perez de Ubla, former Spanish Ambassador in London, disclose a general [Page 241] agreement that Franco cannot maintain his alliance with Hitler and Mussolini in a European war since France would speedily wipe him out. Admitted by all that, should Italy join Hitler, Franco should send all his German and Italian allies home forthwith and that France would have to act at once or very soon to clean out the Italian bombing nest in the Balearics. The bitter and contemptuous attacks on France by Francoists for 2 years and never so bitter as during the last 6 weeks have given way to expressions of friendliness and my informants say Franco is withdrawing his Germans and Italians 130 kilometers back from the French frontier and they evidently think this may be sufficient. They all admit a fear that hot heads on Franco’s side may force a clash with France and that Franco may not be able to control his Fascist and Nazi allies enrolled with him. My colleagues here take it for granted that the Spanish Government, naturally on the side of the democracies, will give France and England naval bases at Cartagena and probably elsewhere and that this will further make the line-up in Spain. However, Franco is said to be desperately anxious to stay out.