760F.62/589
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)
The Czech and Yugoslav Chargés d’Affaires both came to see me this morning to discuss the situation in Central Europe. Both expressed the opinion that the Secretary’s speech,90 particularly when [Page 549] coupled with the President’s Kingston speech,91 was causing Berlin anxious thought.
The Czechoslovak Chargé said that a telegram received this morning from his Government was more optimistic. He said the Czechs were inclined to be more impressed by Lord Runciman’s impartiality. They were less fearful now that he would put pressure on the Czechs to “accept a radical solution”. They felt that England was playing for time until her rearmament program was further advanced. They were also trying to convince Lord Runciman that the great contribution that England could make at the moment was to give economic and financial assistance to the Danubian States to prevent their falling under the sway of Berlin. As to military measures, they did not believe that Germany would project war this year, but if she did harbor such intentions they felt that the period of the Nuremburg Conference was the most critical.
The Yugoslav Chargé said that, as he sensed our analysis of the situation, we were not immediately alarmed, though we felt the situation in Central Europe remained very serious. He added that he had lived many years in Praha, and was skeptical of any working solution. He talked a little bit about the attitude of the Little Entente States toward Hungary, and expressed his conviction that Hungary would resist German pressure to the utmost, and that the forthcoming visit of the Regent to Berlin, though widely advertised, would not change this policy.