852.00/5830: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 25—12:25 p.m.]
145. Embassy’s 140, June 22, 6 p.m.,19 and 142, June 23, 7 p.m. Several days’ perspective on the recent international developments permits of the following observations.
At first we were inclined toward Hitler’s irritation as the principal motive for his precipitate postponement of Neurath’s visit and the “pressure politics” at the four-power London consultations. Now we are inclined to underline probable premeditated exploitation of the favorable position created by events in Soviet Russia, by Franco’s successes and by the unexpected British gesture in inviting Neurath to London. If Hitler could rush the four-power committee arrangement into action this would immediately favor Franco and enhance Germany’s prestige while in the long view it would support German domination in any new method for the settlement of European problems by four-power consultations. If on the other hand as happened to be the case Hitler could not stampede the British he would at least have kept the initiative, scored an “impudent” success over the British in the manner of Italian tactics leading up to the Abyssinian crisis and have gained a certain freedom of action with regard to Spain for which he could blame the British as the local press did so aggressively on the days immediately following. Knowing the changeableness of international affairs Hitler could probably count on British resentment being short-lived and expect that Neurath’s visit would eventually take place at perhaps a more propitious time. In this latter connection I learn from a most reliable source that the British Ambassador here while very favorable to a friendly policy toward Germany and a visit by Neurath to London did not believe that the time the invitation was issued was the opportune moment for such general discussion.
We likewise continue to believe that Mussolini through Goering, Goebbels, Himmler, et cetera, played an important role in the whole development.
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