Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1944, General, Volume I

740.00119 E.W./11–344

Memorandum by the Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs (Matthews) to the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius)

[Washington,] November 4, 1944.

Mr. Stettinius: The attached enclosure⁴¹ to Secretary Morgenthau’s letter to you of November 3 could be most disturbing if there were any danger of its being taken seriously by the British, but I do not believe that this is likely. Incidentally, Mr. McCloy tells me he did his best to dissuade Mr. Morgenthau from giving any such paper to Lord Cherwell. Hence the assertion that his action was with War Department “approval” does not seem to be entirely accurate.

Mr. McCloy tells me that Mr. Morgenthau indicated to him at dinner the other night that after the elections he intended to get back into the German picture in a big way. I very much fear that he will do just that unless the President calls him off.

H. Freeman Matthews

41. Memorandum on the British draft of policy directive for Germany, November 1, p. 378.