Berlin, October 31, 1935.
Dear Mr President:
There is no real change of policy
here since I wrote you some months ago. While
Hitler has not said a word publicly since last
May on German foreign policy, Goebbels and Goring
have frequently made statements as belligerent
as ever. Goring's boast at Breslau October 26
about rapid re-armament and re-employment in arms
factories was so challenging that parts of his
speech were not published here. A vast army and
annexations on the northern and eastern fronts
are commonly accepted as quite as definite a
program as Mussolini's Julius Caesar idea. I am
informed today reliably, I believe, that 26 air-
craft officers leave for Japan this weekend.
There were already 70 Japanese officers at German
military barracks. The Russian, Ambassador says he
is fairly certain of German-Japanese alliance.
This tends to show there has been no change.
Your proclamation of October 5
and the Secretary's speech of October lO pro-
duced a lot of sympathetic, feeling here, the
newspapers even printing the most significant
passages. But during the last two weeks there has
been a reversion of attitude, especially since
the American influence seems to give the league
actual power to stop Italy. Dr Schacht a few
days ago almost denounced the English-League
demand that Italy be barred from taking colonial
area. There have been as much exports to Italy
as possible since September 1. The financial
positions of both countries are such that exchange
of goods, barter, is the chief method: economic
nationalism, urged in the United States. One
thing is certain here: the early defeat or forced
withdrawal of Italy from Ethopia, would be considered
a
The President,
The White House,
Washington, D.C.