862.002 Hitler/113: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 18—9:40 a.m.]
51. In continuation of my No. 50, March 17, 7 p.m. Dieckhoff seemed quite a bit troubled about the La Guardia episode and asked whether I could recommend that the President or the Secretary of State could stop the Mayor’s talk about Germany and the Chancellor. I was surprised that he should ask such a question as he was Counsellor of Embassy in Washington for 4 or 5 years.
I told him there was nothing anyone could do against freedom of speech or press. Since he seemed to be speaking upon the advice of his Government contrary to his own real attitude, I referred to certain of Germany’s policies and acts that had produced so much criticism in all democratic countries and emphasized the denial of religious press and university freedom; and especially stressed the kind of speeches that had been made at Nuremberg last September.
Dieckhoff did not disagree and acknowledged the effects of the Nuremberg performances. He repeated the request that I make some effort to stop La Guardia. I repeated your former statement and added: “If the German press wish to see La Guardia reelected Mayor of New York on a huge majority, they have only to continue taking notice of what he says and is free to say”.