760F.62/767: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 13—11:35 a.m.]
910. My 907, September 12, 11 p.m. Just saw Sir Samuel Hoare.23 I asked him his reaction on speech. He told me the Foreign Office felt that conditions had not been improved at all and that the speech meant absolutely nothing except that the trouble was still present. He said Chamberlain, Halifax, Simon and he felt there was more hope in the situation, provided the local disturbances did not generate real trouble particularly because of the reference Hitler made to France and to the Anglo-German naval treaty24 and because he did not do the building up for a war that would seem necessary. I feel however that they are asking themselves supposing there is no war now; how much better off is the whole situation and where do they go from here?
Hoare said that of course if they weather the storm he believes Chamberlain will move quickly with Hitler to see what can be done on a permanent basis.
He said they are watching an increase in espionage activities particularly along the water front and also the movement of German ships for the purpose of concentration for their needs in the event of war.
All of this group in referring to Hitler always call him the mad man.
- British Secretary of State for Home Affairs.↩
- For correspondence concerning the treaty, see Foreign Relations, 1935, vol. i, pp. 162 ff: for text, see British Treaty Series No. 22 (1935).↩