Office of the Historian

862.01/8–2744: Telegram

The Ambassador in Spain (Hayes) to the Secretary of State

San Sebastian, August 27, 1944—5 p.m.
[Received August 28—8:30 a.m.]

SS–2. Father Cojrado, German Capuchin who had contacts with our Embassy through Beaulac last year94 (reported by Madrid [Page 547] despatch),95 has now called on me with information that a separatist movement in south Germany is gathering rapid headway, that its secret head, Field Marshal von Leeb,96 has not been executed as recently reported in the press but continues to reside in Bavaria near Swiss frontier, that his agents are committing many acts of sabotage preliminary to general uprising against Hitler and Third Reich. The separatist movement aims at creation of south German state, including Austria, Bavaria, Wurttemberg and Baden, entirely independent of Prussia and north Germany. Would such territorial arrangement be incompatible with Allied plans for military occupation of Germany or for any subsequent partition?

Repeated to Madrid.

Hayes
  1. Willard Beaulac, then Counselor of Embassy in Spain.↩
  2. Despatch 1337, September 17, 1943, from Madrid; not printed.↩
  3. Field Marshal Wilhelm von Leeb, formerly Commander in Chief, German Army Group North, Eastern front.↩