740.00/991: Telegram

The Minister in Lithuania (Norem) to the Secretary of State

19. On invitation of the Foreign Minister I called upon Mr. Lozoraitis to receive a copy of the Lithuanian reply given to Germany in connection with the recent peace proposal of President Roosevelt. Mr. Lozoraitis acting for the Foreign Minister confided that Mr. Zechlin, the German Minister, dictated portion of this reply. He stated that Herr Hitler was very angry over American interest in world peace and that he expected an angry reply to be made on the 28th. He stated that Lithuania did not expect any good results from the recent move. A translation of the text of the answer follows:

“The Government of Lithuania states with great satisfaction that, in the relations between Lithuania and the Grerman Reich, the use of force by both countries as also the support of the use of force from a third party against one of the two states is excluded and that through this a solid basis is furnished for a friendly development of relations. There is therefore no occasion for Lithuania to feel itself threatened.

In so far as the general situation is concerned, it is to be pointed out that the existing tension in the international situation, the symptoms of which are generally known, fills the public of Lithuania with care that, as the result of a conflict between third powers, dangers could arise to the integrity of the territory of Lithuania or to the free development of its sovereign rights. The Lithuanian Government is therefore interested in the highest degree in the maintenance of peace and welcomes every effective measure that can lead with general agreement to the relaxation of the usage [tension?].

In reply to the further question of the Government of the Reich, it is stated that the step of the President of the United States took place without the participation of the Lithuanian Government.”

Same text in the German language handed to British and French representatives by the Foreign Office.

Norem