740.00119 European War 1939/92: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 16—4:55 p.m.]
2058. Personal for the Secretary of State. I have just seen Halifax. He hasn’t much to offer except glittering generalities. The [Page 516] first is that they have received soundings from the German Government in the last 48 hours, which purport to come from Goering, as to whether there is still an opportunity to discuss the matter. Halifax says that the Government are making it very difficult for the Germans in the above respect, but it will not surprise them to have a very formidable peace offensive begin at once. The French have also received intimations from Germany.
The other alternative which they have been given to understand is an immediate attack on the fleet and their shipping in docks and ports in England and a big push to drive the French back from German territory which Halifax says will not be difficult, as the French have practically withdrawn all their men already. Then Hitler will say, “I have now driven the French off German soil; before it is too late maybe we should talk again.”
I judged from Halifax’s whole conversation that they consider Hitler has gotten himself in a cofferbox and they are not going to do anything to help him out. Halifax says he is not foolish enough to believe that all the stories he hears out of Germany about the breakdown and difficulties, such as the Communist group having taken over factories in the Ruhr, are true, because he thinks there is too much enthusiasm amongst youth and from all their reports the idea that Germany cannot be beaten is still there. His only hope for the breakdown is in the topside people, who if they are convinced that they are in a bad way may make the right adjustments.
An interesting thing he said today is that their Ambassador in Lisbon cabled him this morning that the Germans are offering armaments and guaranteeing delivery within 4 weeks. Now since there is no possible way of getting this material here unless there is peace Halifax says he is a little bit at sea on this offer unless the big armament people know more than he does.
His wire from Ankara this morning indicates that the Russian proposition to the Turks will not make it impossible for the Turks to play along with the British and the French. He said that his information today is that the Russians are going to work out something with the Finns. The Russians also have sent word to him asking him about any further prospects of trade and Halifax’s answer to them was, “How can we be sure that any trade we make with you will not redound to the benefit of Germany?” The Russian reply this afternoon was, “We look out for our own interests first.” (Aside by Kennedy, “And how!”)
On Wednesday of this week they propose publishing a memorandum from Henderson on his last 2 weeks in Berlin92 and on Thursday they [Page 517] intend to publish all the material they have gathered on the question of German concentration camps and the treatment of prisoners.93 They have hesitated to publish this while they thought there was any prospect of working anything out with Germany but the German papers have been so abusive that they thought they would start a little on their own side.
He said that as far as the Italians are concerned they are behaving very well from the British point of view. In fact whereas up to date they have kept to the middle of the road, Halifax now feels that they are siding over quite a bit to the British.
I asked him what he would expect in the nature of a guarantee that would be satisfactory to him that Germany would behave herself and he said the first requirement is that the German people must be convinced that Hitler lost ground and did not get away with it. From then on something could be worked out, but that is absolutely essential.
Summing up I would say that the British feel Hitler is in a bad way; that they are going to be tougher than ever in order to keep him there, and they think it quite likely that there will be one more peace effort before the trouble really starts.
- British Cmd. 6115, Germany No. 1 (1939): Final Report by the Right Honorable Sir Nevile Henderson, G. G. M. G., on the Circumstances Leading to the Termination of His Mission to Berlin, September 20, 1939.↩
- British Cmd. 6120, Germany No. 2 (1939): Treatment of German Nationals in Germany 1938–1939.↩