840.48 Refugees/814
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to President Roosevelt33
My Dear Mr. President: You will remember that last week you sent through Ambassador Kennedy a personal message to Mr. Chamberlain with regard to the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees. You expressed the hope that the British Prime Minister would seize the opportunity of urging the German Chancellor to take a more lenient attitude with regard to refugees leaving Germany.
The British Ambassador on Saturday communicated to me Mr. Chamberlain’s reply34 to your message of which I enclose the text herewith.
In view of the suggestions made by Mr. Chamberlain, I believe the time has come when the American Ambassador in Berlin should be instructed to sound out the German Government in order to find out whether the German authorities would be willing to discuss the refugee question with Mr. Rublee at this time. Simultaneous approaches would of course be made by the British and French Ambassadors in Berlin.
Believe me [etc.]