Berlin, December 7,1936.
 
 
 
Dear Mr. President:
 
 
 Your addresses in Latin America have occasioned a great deal of
discussion here. The German people of the better informed classes are
most favorable toward your propositions as to peace. Some university
people, in the presence of officials, now as in 0ctober-November 1935,
criticize the regime here, especially its militarism, which they think
will plunge them into a war more disastrous to Germany than that of
1914-18. The Spanish struggle, with Germans supporting Franco, gives
much trouble even to high army officials; but Hitler and Mussolini
think they will come into control of Spain and still further frighten
England and France.
 
 
 Under these circumstances, I spoke quite freely on the fifth of
December with the Assistant Secretary of State here, Dr. Dieckhoff.
After his indications of grave concern about war dangers, I asked him
what Germany would do if the American Conference now in session asked
them to join a world peace and disarmament conference. He indicated
more interest than Dr. Schacht or von Neurath did some months ago when
I touched upon the same subject (see my telegram of the fifth.) This
led me to speak freely about the grave danger of present German
armaments and German-Italian-Spanish relations. He then said, in a
round-about way, that he thought the Foreign Office would favor such a
conference and would support gradual disarmament proposition. His
greatest doubt was as to Mussolini' s attitude.
 
 
The President 
The White House,
Washington.
(15) Schacht