852.00/5585: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 1—10:20 a.m.]
124. Embassy’s telegram 122, May 31, 2 p.m. British Embassy informs us their Ambassador has talked with Neurath and Blomberg97 regarding Deutschland incident. He was informed that German Government now considers incident closed, the only question remaining being that of guarantees to the Germans and Italians with regard to their return to participation in the Non-intervention Committee. British Embassy believes this is largely a case of “national honor” as was the matter of Almeria reprisal and that the matter can be arranged by identical notes to the Valencia and Franco Governments solemnly warning against a repetition of all attacks on non-intervention patrol ships with a clear indication that any future attack of this sort would be met by combined international patrol action. British Embassy believes this will satisfy the Germans and Italians and bring them back to the work of the Non-intervention Committee.
British Embassy is convinced that the attack on the Deutschland was entirely on the initiative of the Valencia Government, that the Germans are blameless and furthermore that the entire country both Nazi and anti-Nazi are behind German Government’s action.
British Embassy considers that the bad press for Germany in London yesterday and suspicion there of possible German initiative was due to Germany’s bungling of publicity. Although the affair occurred on Saturday no news was published in Berlin nor any interviews accorded to the foreign press until Monday. Meanwhile the Valencia Government had quickly gotten out its version which with the German silence naturally aroused suspicion.
By telegraph to London, Rome, Paris, Geneva.
- Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg, German Minister for Defense.↩