611.6231/1055
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Ambassador of Germany86 called on his own request. He said he came in only to let me know that he was back in Washington and [Page 426] at my disposal for the purpose of carrying on suitable relations between our two Governments. I thanked him.
He then said that, while in Germany, he sought to lay fully before his Foreign Office the nature and extent of his and my conversations relative to pending problems, including the Austrian debt87 and trade problems.88 He said that he felt there was a growing interest among the German high officials, from Chancellor Hitler down, in economic and trade relations; that he thought this would gradually increase. I expressed my gratification at what he said, and added that this Government, of course, has held out its trade agreements program alike to every nation in the world; that I, of course, do not expect a country pursuing a policy of autarchy to adopt our program for trade restoration, and I have said that to the Governments of Germany and Great Britain and others alike; that I feel sure that when the German Government might decide to change its course in the different ways that would make it possible for it to eventually adopt and support our liberal commercial policy, it could move in that direction more rapidly than even German officials might imagine; that capital and business men in other countries would immediately discover the basic change of policy on the part of his Government, with the result that manufacturers could soon get credit to make possible the payment for raw materials; that other important steps looking towards the gradual change from autarchy to liberal trade policies could be taken sooner and in greater numbers than might at present be imagined. I added that there are varying impressions as to when and whether his Government might change some of its basic policies under the operation of which his Government would not be interested in pursuing the general course of this Government; that some of these reports represent the head of the German Government as seeking general dominion by force; that I was not raising any question as to the truth or falsity of such reports, but only referring to the obstruction which they constitute to the restoration of confidence on the part of bankers and other business people who would ordinarily cooperate with German bankers and business people in a broad way. The Ambassador said he knew about these phases, and he hastily and almost parenthetically denied the world ambitions of Chancellor Hitler. He proceeded in a brief general sentence or two to say that Germany had a right to interests in the Balkan and Danubian countries and there was no ground on which it should be bottled up. I again made some reference to the question of acquiring dominion generally and in a broad way over territory, and he disclaimed [Page 427] as to territory but without explanation or argument. I said that it would be incomprehensible for Europe to commit suicide—all alike. The Ambassador then said that he had talked with Chancellor Hitler and he was taking a genuine interest in this country, its economic and industrial development and policies in particular. He added that Hitler realized certain readjustments of existing practices or policies by his Government relating to trade and also the Jewish situation would be important, if not vital, in the restoration of entirely satisfactory relations between our two countries. I said I was gratified to hear all he was saying; that this country simply stands for friendly and fair and peaceful relations with all other nations and for a like policy among all nations; that it wants nothing from others, but it is deeply concerned about orderly and peaceful conditions and human progress throughout the world.