Berlin, December 23, 1937.
 
 
 
Dear Mr. President:
 
 
 Your most interesting letter of December 14 just received. It
certainly would be, in my opinion, a great advantage if Professor
Shotwell could be appointed to one of the vacancies in Europe. I
thought Berlin would be the best place because of his knowledge of
German and also because of his thorough acquaintance of European
affairs, as revealed in his books. However, I know you have political
complications and shall understand whatever you are able to do.
 
 
 As to your remarks about the possible attitude of the Foreign Office
here, I am a little surprised. Their objections to what was reported to
have
been a speech of mine September 4 was supposed to have been entirely
settled
about that time. Secretary Hull did not intimate to me any
difficulties, especially when he realized that a confidential letter
had been slipped out of the State Department and made use of in such a
dishonorable way. However, comment which I hear from many people in the
Service indicates great dis-
trust of one of the higher officials in the Department. There is a
general belief that he was the cause of these difficulties.
Personally, I do not know anything about him; but the marvellously
incorrect address which he delivered about a month ago in Washington on
the subject of Latin-American
countries suggests a great deal. The greatest authority we have on
Latin-American affairs says there is no such thing as democracy in any
of the Latin-American
 
 
The President
The White House,
Washington, D.C.