National Affairs: Bullitt to Biddle to D. N. B.

Last week D. N. B., official Nazi news agency, released the report of an alleged telephone conversation between U. S. Ambassador to France William C. Bullitt and U. S. Ambassador to Poland Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Jr. on the day Russian troops invaded Poland. Who was supposed to have tapped the wires, D. N. B. did not disclose. The conversation:

Bullitt (in Paris) : “The President and Secretary of State want immediately everything you can send them about the matter [bombing of Warsaw]. From your military attache and other members of your mission, understand? Categorical declarations, and categorical declarations by all members of the Embassy, as detailed as possible; and then, additionally, declarations by neutral diplomats. They want to have it as a basis, understand? You know what’s going on in the United States.”

Biddle (in Czernowitz, Poland): “No I haven’t any idea.”

Bullitt: “But you know there’s a fight on, which the President has begun. So you understand why it’s important to send all this.” ^

Biddle: “I understand Vt?ry well.”

Bullitt: “The matter is simply this: They haven’t enough details or material from their reports in order to act, and they need it for their Neutrality Bill fight.

Think of Charlie Ross in your reports. I mean you should use your imagination and put out something in the style of Charlie Ross.”

Biddle: “Yes, yes, I understand.”

Whether the Charlie Ross referred to was the famed kidnapped Philadelphia boy or a mutual acquaintance who could write imaginative reports, D. N. B. did not venture to explain. Bill Bullitt flatly denied that such a conversation had ever taken place. He admitted talking to Biddle that day over a bad connection, to get “specific and complete statements” about German bombardments in Poland, and that was all there was to it, except for Nazi “inventions.”

Meantime the State Department said it knew nothing about any Bullitt-Biddle conversation whatsoever. At week’s end, the Department had received a more elaborate report on bombing from Ambassador Biddle, held it safe from press services and wiretappers.