760F.62/725: Telegram
The Minister in Czechoslovakia (Carr) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 10—11:20 a.m.]
183. The Minister of Foreign Affairs told me this morning that the pressure of the British Government on Hitler has had a distinctly [Page 587] restraining effect and he does not fear direct action at present. He apparently does not expect an attack on this country by Hitler before next week’s speech at Nuremberg. He said that Great Britain has given no formal assurance of military aid and he does not expect that but has no doubt that in case of attack Great Britain will support France in aiding Czechoslovakia. Rumania has not formally agreed to passage of Russian troops across her territory but the Minister of Foreign Affairs does not anticipate difficulty if the occasion therefor should arise and says Litvinov and the Rumanians are to discuss the question at Geneva. The Minister for Foreign Affairs seemed hopeful about negotiations with the Sudetens and said a large part of the Government’s last proposal has been agreed to with the conservative wing of the Sudeten German Party. He emphasized that the Government has made its last concessions and that the British Government understands this and approves the Czech position. He said that involved in the Czech Sudeten negotiations is a loan to be made by British banks under protection of the British Government to a group of Czech banks to cover their loans for Sudeten relief purposes.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs spoke with much feeling of your and the President’s speeches and their effect on the British and world opinion and said that they had been of great value.
English version of Beneš’ speech will be broadcast about 7 this evening Praha time 19.07 meters.