840.48 Refugees/1072: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State86
[Received December 8—6:43 p.m.]
1414. Personal for the Acting Secretary from Rublee. My 1403, December 7, 3 p.m. The representative of the German Embassy assured us that we would receive further explanation of the cancellation or postponement of the Brussels meeting in the course of yesterday. He said that this telegram was being deciphered and that undoubtedly he would have further details. However, late last evening he called merely to state that it was now understood that the meeting had had to be put off in view of the sudden illness of the principal negotiator on the German side. He regretted that he could tell us no more.
During the day we had a telephone call from Berenger’s office in Paris. We were told that the matter of refugees had been raised by Bonnet in his conversation with von Ribbentrop. The result was very bad. Ribbentrop, when pressed, had said to Bonnet that the Jews in Germany without exception were pickpockets, murderers and thieves. The property they possessed had been acquired illegally. The German Government had therefore decided to assimilate them with the criminal elements of the population. The property which they had acquired illegally would be taken from them. They would be forced to live in districts frequented by the criminal classes. They would be under police observation like other criminals. They would be forced to report to the police as other criminals were obliged to do. [Page 863] The German Government could not help it if some of these criminals escaped to other countries which seemed so anxious to have them. It was not however willing for them to take the property which had resulted from their illegal operations with them. There was in fact nothing that it could or would do.
From our German contact we have information that the French raised the question of refugees not only in principle but concretely in respect to the financial aspects of the question. Berenger, while attending the officers meeting, gave a hint that his Government was preparing to take this line. We attempted to dissuade him from crossing wires with our negotiation and he assured us that he would do his best to keep the discussion of refugees on a general plane but he added Chamberlain had requested Daladier to take the matter up with Ribbentrop and so it would have to be taken up. Winterton denies this.
The British assured us this morning that they did not communicate to the French the details of the financial plan which they now tell us they have prepared but which they are holding back for the present. They say that they are as mystified as we are about the French move and do not know what specific financial proposals Bonnet may have raised with Ribbentrop. With regard to the visit of Schacht to London we have no conclusive information. The British will say no more than that the visit is imminent. The Germans say they are not at liberty to discuss the matter. [Rublee.]
- A White House memorandum dated December 10, 1938, to the Under Secretary of State reads: “Will you please have the marked part of this carefully checked? I should like to have some verification. If there is any truth in it, the time will come when we can bring it out for the benefit of humanity. F. D. R.” (840.48 Refugees/1072). The “marked part” is the portion contained in the second and third paragraphs.↩