500.A15A4/2242: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 17—9:32 p.m.]
756. For the President. [1.] Schwartz, formerly head of the League of Nations Union in Germany, whom I have known for some time and in whom circles here have considerable confidence came to see me yesterday by his request. He began by informing me he is now working with and for Hitler because he is satisfied Hitler earnestly wants peace and that he offers more hope than anyone else.
2. He said that he wanted to tell me something in the greatest confidence and he must ask me not to tell anyone but you. In substance it was as follows:
Hitler found it necessary to take drastic steps to strengthen his position and to thwart plans of certain reactionary elements opposed [Page 279] to his policies and that he could not, therefore, make concession on disarmament until he had strengthened his own political position. It became necessary to act quickly and the impasse over disarmament furnished the occasion. He said that Hitler had failed to get control of the Reichswehr and that accordingly it was necessary for him to abolish it; that Goering, who is a monarchist, had been entrenching himself too strongly in East Prussia and was too close to Blomberg, the head of the Reichswehr, and that Hitler found it necessary to get more direct control over the local political units. He had accordingly dissolved the Reichstag and called the elections as the first step in his plans which will enable him to eliminate some of the disloyal Nazi members and once he has gotten full control he will get rid of Von Papen,91 clean out certain elements in the Foreign Office, recast the Cabinet and abolish the Reichswehr. Then he will be in a position to reach an agreement on disarmament which he wants to do as he recognizes that he must have peace in order to restore confidence and reduce unemployment.
3. He told me that the decision to withdraw from the Disarmament Conference and the League was practically decided upon on Wednesday of last week92 primarily because of the opposition of the Reichswehr which precipitated the action taken. He said, however, that the final decision to withdraw was reached last Friday night and held over so that it would appear that the decision was taken as a result of the meeting of the Bureau.
4. In concluding he said that he wished me to know this in the hope that I would use my influence to keep the Disarmament Conference going until Hitler can get in a position to negotiate an agreement and that nothing be done at the Conference in the meantime to arouse German resentment, while the people are in such an agitated state of mind.
5. I cannot, of course, vouch for the accuracy of the information which Schwartz gave me but I believe he was sincere.