862.002 Hitler/102: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Germany (Dodd)
15. Department’s No. 13, March 5, 7 p.m.67 As reiterated in my oral statement to the German Embassy on March 5, concerning the La Guardia remarks, copy of which was handed to the press, we have emphatically maintained our policy of conducting official relations with other nations upon a basis of complete and mutual respect for the rights and sensibilities of each other while stressing our Constitutional guarantee of the right of freedom of speech to every individual. [Page 371] Concurrently reports have been reaching us indicating the existence of a campaign of publishing vilifying statements concerning matters here in the allegedly Government controlled German press.
I consider it desirable that you seek an early interview with Foreign Minister von Neurath personally, and call his attention to the press articles as reported in your cables Nos. 40 and 42, March 5 and 6, respectively,68 and particularly to the Angriff front page article reported in your cable No. 40 of March 5.
You should say that the American Government is wholly unable to account for or the American people to understand any justification for such sweeping vituperative and wholly unfounded statements and attacks upon American womanhood and American institutions in language which is probably without a parallel in its coarse and wholly indecent character and implications and which is both staggering and shocking to all decent minds. There could be no human provocation which would justify such language.
Please cable promptly details of your conversation which should be entirely oral without leaving any written memorandum.