HSM (Paris) This telegram must be Bordeaux closely paraphrased before being communi- Dated June 17, 1940 cated to anyone. (Br.) Rec'd 10:36 a.m. Secretary of State Washington. TRIPLE PRIORITY 12, June 17, 2 a. m. My telegram No. 11, June 16, midnight. Baudoin sent for me at midnight to inform me that one hour before in the name of the Petain Government he had requested the Spanish Government to ask the German Government on what terms it would grant an armistice. The communication to the Spanish Ambassador which he later read to me urged that the request be transmitted at the earliest possible moment and that the bombinb of French cities might cease immediately. In his expose of the reasons compelling his Government to take this grave step he said that the French army "is completely smashed'; that slaughter of further thousands must be stopped; that the fight was hopeless. If the terms of surrender received however are "unworthy of the honor or dignity of "France" they will be made public and their |