863.00/844: Telegram
The Chargé in Austria (Kliefoth) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 26—noon.]
10. The British Minister here informed me this morning that he concurs with the London Times statement of January 24 that “The internal situation in Austria is dangerously strained; intrigue is rife. [Page 8] It is felt here that now at the eleventh hour every possible help should be given to the Austrian Government to break the ring which is slowly closing in on it and threatening to strangle it.”
While I regard the situation as critical I do not believe it is quite as serious as reported. The Legation staff and Consul General concur. Nevertheless as pointed out in the Legation’s despatch No. 49 of December 29, 19338 Dollfuss has exhausted almost all possibilities of keeping down the Nazis. I too believe that unless the foreign economic help is announced very soon the chances of the Nazis, because of the German help, are increasing with great speed.
- Not printed.↩