760F.62/1013
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)
The Czech Chargé d’Affaires called this noon. He made an impassioned plea for some statement to Czechoslovakia in her hour of need by either the President or the Secretary of State. I told him that the difficulty lay in saying anything that would not be construed at this moment as advice to some nation either to fight or not to fight and that we were unwilling to assume the responsibility of giving any advice either directly or inferentially. I felt that advice which was not to be implemented should not be given. The Chargé said that he was still convinced that Czechoslovakia would fight and that any government which advocated surrender would probably not be able to stand up.
The Chargé then introduced one of his compatriots, Mr. Slechta, Member of the Praha Council, who had collaborated in the preparation of Czechoslovakia’s Fourth Plan.54 He too joined his pleas with those of the Chargé for some last minute message that would [Page 627] remove from the Czechs the feeling of being deserted, not to say betrayed, by all their friends. He said that the Secretary’s speech of August 16 and the President’s Kingston speech had both greatly heartened his compatriots and added that any statement by us might perhaps save the situation.