362.1113 Velz, Roland/3: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 12—7:37 a.m.]
162. Department’s 125, October 11, 4 p.m.; and 110, September 4, 6 p.m.; and my 144, September 15, 2 p.m. I was to have had my initial interview with Hitler earlier this week and intended to take up the Velz case vigorously with him then. The Chancellor having postponed this meeting I am taking the matter up tomorrow with Neurath, though I must confess I do not expect satisfactory results except in the contingency set forth in the last paragraph of this telegram.
There is no evidence to show that the representations which I made to the Foreign Minister on September 14th have stimulated the German authorities to apprehending or punishing individuals guilty of past assaults on Americans or to taking really salutary deterrent measures of any kind. In fact the Foreign Office has not even answered provisionally a week old note which I sent asking for information as to the progress of the investigation of the cases referred to in my 139, September 4, 5 p.m.
Could the Department summon Luther46 today and inform him that if some definite punitive measures are not taken in the very near future in the three cases above referred to the Department is considering the issuance of a statement to the effect that American citizens having no specific business in Germany would for the time being be advised to refrain from traveling or sojourning in that country. If the Department thinks well of this suggestion and would cable me tonight a brief summary of what was done I could be more specific and therefore more forceful in my representations tomorrow to Neurath who doubtless will also have heard from Luther in the meantime.
- Hans Luther, the German Ambassador.↩