740.00119 European War 1939/7–344: Telegram
The Minister in Sweden (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 3—8:48 p.m.]
2442. During past week Legation’s Estonian radio monitor has been visited two times by two German SS officers, who were introduced by Pastor Hjalmer Poehl, Swedish Estonian who is officially helping to evacuate the Swedish Estonians to Sweden. Germans are Lieutenant Doctor Lienhardt and Doctor Schuddekopf (rank unknown), former station[ed] in Tallinn, latter in Berlin.
[Page 527]Germans are in their thirties and represent themselves as part of a group of young German university graduates scattered over Germany but in close contact with one another, who were formerly members of the German youth movement, interested in creating international understanding and goodwill. Particular two Germans in question were supporters of campaign for “agricultural regeneration” sponsored by Rolf Gardiner in England and the then Viscount Lymington.45 They automatically joined Hitler movement in 1933 but were disappointed by its imperialistic and racial doctrines. They now conclude that Hitler must disappear and that rapprochement with western democracies must be sought in order to save Germany from Bolshevism. They believe Hitler served important purpose as antidote to Bolshevism, they justify Germany’s rearmament on same grounds but they believe Prussian militarism must be exterminated, Germany can claim no hegemony over other countries and one party regime must disappear. Group represented by two spokesmen is absolutely opposed to unconditional surrender as driving Germany into arms of Bolshevism.
Two Germans stated their desire for contact with Allied circles.
Legation’s alien radio monitor will naturally receive any further information which comes from this source but understands that Legation itself has nothing to say to Germans concerned.
- George Vernon Wallop, Viscount Lymington, became ninth Earl of Portsmouth in 1943.↩