740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/642: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Mayer) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 22—1:52 p.m.]
116. The situation here appears quiet during this period of suspense awaiting the French elections and the resumption of Locarno discussions.
According to a conversation yesterday at the Foreign Office it expects the English “questions” to be submitted this week and anticipates that they will include the subject of fortifications in the Rhineland.49 The German attitude is an entire willingness for nonfortifications on both sides of the frontier but a definite stand against any return to unilateral obligation on Germany’s own territory. Since the British are fully aware of this attitude the Foreign Office hopes that they will handle the matter of fortifications accordingly posing their “questions” so that no undesirable complications or tension may result. I gained the impression that Germany is inclined to regard the phrasing of the British “questions” as forecasting British policy in the premises.
Regarding the recent collapse of the League of Nations respecting Abyssinia the Foreign Office expressed its regret especially as this greatly affects British prestige. The recent Anglo-German conversations in London were entirely satisfactory, the German officials concerned having found the British as helpful as their treaty commitments could possibly permit. In the present circumstances therefore [Page 296] the Foreign Office could not but deplore the blow to Great Britain from every point of view that the League action Monday50 must entail. Reference was made to the disadvantage to the British of being tied to the French apron strings. This it was felt worked against British Empire interests, League interests, and the attempt with which England and Germany are both so concerned to bring about better general European relations and conditions. There were clear implications in my conversation with the Foreign Office yesterday of its feeling that sooner or later the British would come to realize the community of Anglo-German interests vis-à-vis Italian imperialism.
I also have had a talk with the French Ambassador and Counsellor. They repeated their mistrust of Hitler and German intentions with especial reference to Austria and are quite pessimistic. Poncet said again that the Rhineland situation was not yet liquidated, referring to article 42 of the Treaty of Versailles.
As seen from here the European picture is focusing even more sharply upon the fundamentals, namely, the rivalry between France and Germany for European hegemony and the new element of Italy (See Embassy’s 105, April 9, 11 a.m. penultimate paragraph). There is a certain confirmation of the first part of this impression in the sharper tone towards France in the local German press and semiofficial publications during the past week or ten days which departs considerably from the hitherto studied restraint or even complacence in the face of French attacks.
Repeated to London, Paris, Rome, Geneva.
- The British “questionnaire,” dated May 6, 1936, was submitted on May 7 to the German Minister for Foreign Affairs; for text, see British Cmd. 5175, Miscellaneous No. 6 (1936), p. 12.↩
- Draft resolution, Dispute Between Italy and Ethiopia, adopted April 20, 1936, League of Nations, Official Journal, April 1936 (pt. ii), pp. 392–393.↩