859.00/1068
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)
The Danish Minister came in to see me at his request. He referred to his recent conversation with the President, and with Mr. Hull, and the proposed statement he hoped the President would issue. According to him the President had agreed. He said Secretary Hull had suggested that he go and see Steve Early.14 He did not wish to do that since he had confined his relations exclusively to the State Department. He wondered how the matter stood.
I told him I could not say. The matter was, of course, receiving study. I would inquire of the Secretary whether he had any views on the subject.
The Minister said that he felt something ought to be done. The Danish people had revolted; two thousand of them had died, and thus far the only recognition of that fact had been advice from the British Broadcasting System for them to be “cautious”. The Danes were telling the British that they were fools to risk their necks since nobody bothered about it. He was grateful for the note the Secretary had sent him; but rather hoped something could be done to release the Danish people further on the side against it. He was a bit emotional about it.
- Executive Secretary to President Roosevelt.↩