462.11L5232/779½

Memorandum by the Legal Adviser (Hackworth)

Dr. Markau called this morning by appointment. Mr. Flack of the Division of Western European Affairs was present during the conversation. Dr. Markau had a telegram which he had just received from General Goering which he undertook to translate for us in part and according to his version of the telegram it was to the effect that General Goering had arranged with the Minister for Foreign Affairs93 to send instructions to the Embassy in Washington to proceed with the settlement of the sabotage claims. He opened the conversation by referring to an earlier conversation with Mr. Moore in which he spoke of under-currents and conflicts between various branches of his Government. These, he said, had been clearly demonstrated in connection with the Munich discussions. He indicated that they had been cleared away and that everything is now in order and that the stipulations which he and Mr. Bonynge had agreed upon would be put into effect.

Dr. Markau allowed Mr. Flack to read part of the telegram and Mr. Flack gained the impression that General Goering had said something to the effect that he was expecting to carry out the arrangement without letting it founder on the rocks. Mr. Flack was not permitted to see the whole telegram but his understanding of the part he read was not quite so positive as the expressions by Dr. Markau.

Dr. Markau stated that he was merely calling to let us know that things had been arranged and that the Embassy had received or soon would receive the necessary instructions. He hurried away to keep an appointment with the German Ambassador on the same matter but remarked to Mr. Flack just before leaving the building that he hoped Mr. Hackworth would understand that the German Embassy here was not intentionally being obstructive but that it could only act on instructions from the German Foreign Office.

G[reen] H. H[ackworth]
  1. Konstantin von Neurath.