740.00/1001: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 20—9:45 a.m.]
784. Bonnet and Léger both said to me this evening that they were engaged in thanking God that Stalin had refused to make the public statement with regard to Poland and Rumania which the British Government had asked him to make.
Stalin had suggested instead that Great Britain and the Soviet Union and France and the Soviet Union should conclude accords for immediate military support in case of aggression similar to the pact recently concluded between Great Britain and Poland.
Both Bonnet and Léger said that they believed such pacts should be concluded at once provided the Soviet Union should indicate that it was ready to support Rumania in case of German attack.
Both Bonnet and Léger said to me that they were doing everything possible to bring about the alliance against Germany between Poland and Rumania before Hitler’s speech. They feared however that Beck would delay the conclusion of this alliance.
I had a long talk with the Yugoslav Minister today who said that his Government did not expect any immediate German or Italian attack. He added that the position of Yugoslavia in any war would be determined solely by the control of the Mediterranean. If the British and French should be able to wipe out the Italian fleet and control the Mediterranean he would guarantee that his country would be in war on the side of France and England within 60 days. If on the other hand the Italians should control the Mediterranean and it should be impossible for supplies from England, France or the Soviet Union to reach Yugoslavia it would be impossible for Yugoslavia to do anything but remain neutral.
I discussed the position of Yugoslavia with Léger this evening and he entirely agreed with this diagnosis. He added, however, that the Rumanians felt that a German attack on them would not come by way of Hungary which at the moment was prepared to resist the transit of German troops; but would come by way of Yugoslavia which was in a state of such emotional uncertainty that there might be no resistance to the passage of German troops.
Léger went on to say that he was certain that in spite of German threats to Poland the only country which was most menaced today by Germany was Rumania. The Germans had their eyes on the Rumanian oil fields. If the Rumanians had taken a decisive anti-German line Hitler already would have attacked Rumania by one route or another. King Carol was playing an extremely clever game. He was [Page 239] being very polite to the Germans and had convinced them that they might be able to obtain Rumania’s support with Rumania’s consent. The reality was that the King knew perfectly well that he was fighting for his own existence and the existence of his dynasty and although he would be very polite to the Germans so long as it was clearly understood he would never go over to their side.