862.1121 Hirsch, Helmut/50: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 2—2:45 p.m.]
126. Department’s 52, June 1, 5 p.m.; and Consul General’s telegram of 5 p.m. today12 stating that Hirsch execution is set for Friday morning, June 4.
I have had no word from Neurath to whom I wrote this morning recalling our conversation of May 31 (see first paragraph my 125, June 2, 11 a.m.12) I have also seen Staatssekretaer Meissner with whom I had had previous communication on the subject. He has promised to see Hitler in the morning and place before him the international aspects of the matter. Meissner will communicate with me afterwards.
As a last resort you may wish to call in Dieckhoff13 at once and explain to him the desirability of a commutation of sentence. Hirsch would be the first American executed under the National Socialist political legislation and with the exception of Vanderlubbe (of Reichstag fire fame) the only foreigner as far as we know.
While naturally it is a matter for your judgment whether to limit yourself in conversation with Dieckhoff to humanitarian and international aspects, you may wish to refer to the fact that we have not seen the evidence in the case.