740.00119 European War 1939/112: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland ( Harrison ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:02 p.m.]
130. For the Secretary and Under Secretary. Reference my telegram No. 125, October 12, 5 p.m. Same informant claims that he has heard from Berlin that word of satisfactory progress has been received from Davis.
My informant also alleges that after communicating with certain high placed British friends, he discussed the situation with their representative sent here to see him. Such mediation, he believes, is not practicable for the moment. The first step he says will be to discredit Ribbentrop, the second to persuade Hitler to withdraw in favor of Goering. This he considers difficult and delicate though not impossible. Also a double-cross by Hitler is not to be excluded and some means will have to be found to guard against this. It would, he thought, be helpful if the stigma of Prussian ruthlessness and Prussian [Page 521] influence could somehow be eliminated and if something could be done to improve the situation of the church in Germany.
My informant also said that he was leaving for Berlin where he would explain “his” peace plan to his German friends and if, as a result of his conversations he should have a second plan to propose, he would pass that on to his British friends but would not meet them in Switzerland. He will return here with his family early in January. He referred to the recent German announcement of a continental blockade of England and said he was inclined to expect intensified air and naval action against England rather than an attack against France. If this information is to be credited, it would appear that while the British may not be averse to listening to what Goering may have to offer, they do not favor mediation at this juncture and are standing pat on their demand that Hitlerism must go.