PAP                                PARIS
This telegram must be
closely paraphrased be-                 Dated May 14, 1940
fore being communicated
to anyone. (D)                     Rec'd 6:43 p.m.
 
 
Secretary of State
 
     Washington
 
     RUSH
 
     659, May 14, 7 p.m. (SECTION THREE)
 
     We were at one of the most terrible moments in human history. France would fight on but
the French soldiers, brave as they were, could not stand against simultaneous attacks by tanks on
the ground and bombs and machine gun bullets from the air.
          Reynaud then implored me to obtain additional aeroplanes from the United States. I told
him I feared there were none to be had.
     He then said that the war with Italy would involve Italian submarine attacks on all shipping
in the Mediterranean. The British and French had an inadequate number of destroyers. He knew
that the United States had a large number of old destroyers which could be used effectively
against submarines. He implored me if possible to have the Government of the United States
declare these destroyers to be without military value and sell them to the French and British
Governments.
 
 
                                   BULLITT
 
 
WC