740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/457: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 16—5:45 p.m.]
79. My 77, March 16, 11 a.m.3 Dieckhoff has just discussed with Mayer the German reply to the invitation4 to participate at the Council meeting in London as follows:
The German Government was prepared to accept provided its action of March 7 was not split up and only the demilitarized-zone feature dealt with. For this reason the reply was worded as it was. The German Government, however, did not desire to express a peremptory wish or preference with regard to the discussion of its constructive proposals and merely desired to be certain that they would be considered “in normal consequence”, i. e. when the question of the reoccupation of the demilitarized zone had been sufficiently considered, then the German proposals should have their day in court. There had been an unfortunate translation of the German word “alsbald” as “immediately” in the reply’s penultimate sentence which dealt with this point. As explained above, the word was meant rather as in due course. The reference to the British Government in the last sentence of the reply resulted from the fact that the British Ambassador had seen Neurath Saturday evening to express, on the instruction of his Government, the hope that Germany would decide to accept the invitation and participate at the Council meeting. Likewise, Phipps had called on Hitler Sunday on the latter’s return from Munich and had discussed the situation with him in the same sense. These two visits are still confidential, I understand. The German Government was very understanding of the difficulties of the British Government and wished to help them all they could. They felt, however, that it was not practicable to make any gesture of withdrawal of troops as they feel that the present total of 36,000 men in the demilitarized zone should not give offense to the French Government.
There had been quite a variety of reactions to the German reply in different countries and circles. Flandin had apparently moderated his first impression. The French Minister had taken the same realistic and constructive view which had characterized Van Zeeland’s speech at the Council meeting. It was too soon to tell how the situation [Page 252] would finally develop but it was hoped that the German position would be understood and that the situation would work out constructively.
It was probable that either Neurath or Ribbentrop would be the German representative if Germany participated in the Council meeting. Mayer got the impression that it would likely be Ribbentrop with Dieckhoff as his assistant. Thus far Avenol had merely acknowledged receipt of the German reply which he had communicated to the Council.
The Military Attaché who has just been to the German War Ministry says that it has noted nothing disturbing in the military reaction of any neighboring country. He reports further that the British Military Attaché has been in constant and friendly contact with the German War Ministry throughout the entire time.
Repeated to Paris, London, Rome, Geneva, Brussels.