JR
This telegram must be 
closely paraphrased be-                                          London
fore being communicated 
to anyone. (D)                                                   Dated June 12, 1940
 
                                                                      Rec'd 10:35 a.m.
 
Secretary of State, 
 
     Washington.
 
 
     RUSH. 
 
     1603,June 12, 2 p.m.
 
     SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL FOR THE  SECRETARY.
 
          My viw of the situation this morning. The condition 
 
of Britain's preparedness equals her ability to fight the 
 
kind of war Hitler wages still appears to be appallingly 
 
weak. I am of the opinion that outside of some air 
 
defence the real defence of England will be with courage 
 
and not with arms. No matter what action the United States 
 
takes towards this war it is only fair to say that short of 
 
a miracle this country after, and if and when, France 
 
stops fighting will hold on in the hope that the United
 
States will come in. Churchill said quite definitely to
 
me he expects the United States will be in right after the 
 
election; that when the people in the United States see 
 
the towns and cities of England, after which so many 
 
American cities and towns have been named, bombed and 
 
destroyed they will line up and want war. The people here
 
are kept buoyed up by the inference in the papers and the     
 
                                                  publication