740.0011 European War 1939/1314: Telegram
The Minister in Norway (Harriman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:06 p.m.]
118. Legation’s despatch No. 539, December 12.10 Professor Wilhelm Keilhau, adviser to the Nobel Institute since 1922, told me today that in an effort to ascertain present opinions in leading German circles he recently sent to Berlin Tryggve Gran, a world known Norwegian [Page 536] pilot, in whom he has complete confidence and one who is a personal, intimate friend of Goering through their common interest in aviation. Gran made the first flight across the North Sea in 1914 and was an officer in the British air force during the last war.
- 2.
- Gran returned to Oslo yesterday after a conference alone with Goering following which the latter after consultation with the German Foreign Office arranged a meeting between himself, Gran and high officials of the Foreign Office. Goering told him that as he was not Foreign Minister he could not take the responsibility of answering all Gran’s questions but that what the Foreign Office officials stated at the meeting were also his views.
- 3.
- The following is the substance of the information Gran received at this meeting: the German pact with Russia was concluded in the belief that it was necessary but it would never have been negotiated if Germany had known the weakness of the Polish Army. To obtain the pact with Russia, Germany was forced to promise inactivity in case of a Russian attack on Finland and of a probable Russian attack on Sweden and Norway if the latter two countries declared war on Russia to help Finland. Germany therefore considers Finland as lost if the war in the West continues. This means an embarrassing position for the German Government as the German people and army are in full sympathy with Finland.
- 4.
- The defeat of Finland will take 6 months whereas Russia believes that it can be accomplished in much less time. In the event of defeat of Finland, Russia will not claim in Norway as far south as Narvik (the important seaport terminal of Norwegian-Swedish railway connecting with Sweden’s mines) but it would claim those Norwegian ports further north which might be dangerous to Murmansk and also Spitzbergen and in the latter case claiming that Spitzbergen has majority of Russian workmen.
- 5.
- Germany is willing to enter peace negotiations if the initiative is taken principally by the United States or failing that by Italy and if Britain or France do not beforehand make any conditions, Germany wishing to enter negotiations on the same footing as other states. Germany on its part will not claim an armistice or interruption of blockade as conditions for negotiations. If peace could be obtained Germany is willing to break completely with Russia and even bring about a situation which might allow it to give military support to Finland. Stalin has made so many moves of which Hitler does not approve that there would be a way to find a casus belli. In this case the whole of Poland might be restored as completely independent provided Danzig and the Corridor remain German and Poland can be [Page 537] allowed a new Corridor to the east. Czechoslovakia might also be restored provided Beneš11 be not recalled. Such a peace would be the only possibility for Great Britain to restore Poland without war against a German-Russian alliance.
- 6.
- Keilhau states that in Gran’s belief Germany is strong enough to resist for a long time so that if peace came now it would spare the world incalculable suffering and would perhaps be the only means of saving Finland and preventing the whole of Scandinavia from being devastated by war. He is of the opinion that this information should receive earnest official American consideration.
- 7.
- Keilhau emphasized that Gran’s mission to Berlin must be kept strictly confidential as the Germans have stated that they will deny that any such information had been given should it be published.