862.00/3287
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Moffat)
Dr. Leitner, the German Counselor, called today to protest against the tentative plan, details of which have appeared in the press, for an inquiry commission “into the National Socialist Terror in Germany”. This is being organized by the American Committee against Fascist suppression in Germany, the executive committee of which contains a large number of conservative names. Dr. Leitner said that this would create repercussions similar to those of the mock trial in New York and would exasperate public opinion in Germany still further. He said that he must enter a protest and ask us to stop it. [Page 526] I told him that we had looked carefully into all angles of the situation at the time of his protest against the mock trial but found nothing that we could do to stop it, irrespective of our feelings in the matter. I imagined that the same considerations would hold true in this case. He agreed.
Dr. Leitner then went on to protest against the various searches, investigations, inquiries, et cetera, into German propaganda in this country, and pointed out that the sum total showed a clean bill of health for Germany, for the simple reason that there was no propaganda. I remarked that in that case he should not object to the inquiries as it would satisfy more people of the innocence of Germany in this regard than if such inquiries were suppressed as a result of his representations. He did not agree with this, maintaining that they kept public opinion inflamed.