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. |