760F.62/239: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 6—5:50 p.m.]
225. In a conversation with the Russian Chargé d’Affaires who has just returned from a trip through the Sudeten German area, he stated that, disagreeable as the admission was to him, at present undoubtedly 90 percent of the Sudeten Germans favored union with the Reich. He said, however, that this was almost entirely due to the depressed economy of the area, that he regarded proposals examined during the Franco-British conversations at London that Great Britain employ economic means to offset German influence in Central Europe as the most valuable feature of the conversations, and that if Great Britain would purchase Sudeten-German products to a degree sufficient to create Sudeten-German prosperity the urge to unite with Germany would disappear. This view is nevertheless discounted by others here familiar with the situation who feel that the issues and sentiments have grown beyond the problem of economics.
In respect of the possible role of Russia in Czechoslovak affairs the Chargé d’Affaires stated that Russia would under no circumstances move to the military assistance of Czechoslovakia unless France moved. He added that French action in turn certainly depended on British action. He said furthermore that Russian military support of Czechoslovakia was complicated by the attitude of Poland and Rumania especially the former, which was that the passage of troops over her territory would be regarded as a cause for war. He trusted, however, that the attitudes of these two states could be overcome provided a general common action were joined against Germany.