840.48 Refugees/829: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 18—2:06 p.m.]
555. My 549, October 15, 11 a.m. Ribbentrop as usual is out of town having been almost continuously absent from Berlin since July 1st; I therefore called on Weizsaecker and presented the matter of Rublee’s visit orally along the lines suggested in your 179. As stated in my 549, I left a memorandum.
Henderson also called this morning separately also leaving memorandum. I have not been able to check with François-Poncet as he is in Berchtesgaden taking leave of the Chancellor.
In presenting the matter to Weizsaecker I emphasized particularly the fact that the German Government’s action has created a problem which affects the outside states as well, that the Germans cannot consider this a purely internal matter. I also emphasized the advantages to the Germans in making a regular plan of emigration and facilitating the export of Jewish capital both because of their desire to hasten emigration and because their present attitude toward the [Page 801] Jews was one of the chief factors in the maintenance of the hostile sentiments against Germany abroad.
Weizsaecker replied that he could not give me an official answer in this matter, that he personally had been of a frame of mind some time ago to discourage the visit, that they had followed the developments in the Committee and had not been able to see that any particular headway had been made for the absorption of Jewish emigrants. (Here I interrupted to point out to him that the capacity of absorption depended on the amount of securities Jews could take with them.) He then said he feared that if Mr. Rublee came and nothing was worked out he would return and report to the Committee that because of German obstinacy nothing could be accomplished. I replied that this might well be the case unless the party members could realize both that they had created a world problem of concern to many states besides Germany and that it was to their own distinct advantage to work this matter out with Rublee.
I then said that the specific question to which we wished an answer was whether, in the event of Mr. Rublee’s arrival, the various German officials who would have the decision on the question will be ready to receive him and discuss the matter on the question of finding an arrangement. Weizsaecker replied that he would lay this matter before the proper authorities and let me know.
I intend, of course, to push this matter at every opportunity pending a reply from the Foreign Office. I believe that pending such reply whatever hope of success now exists will be jeopardized if publicity is given to the fact that the various Ambassadors are discussing this matter with the German Foreign Office.
Henderson’s memorandum and mine forwarded by mail.41 Telegram repeated to London for Rublee.
- Despatch No. 378, October 18, not printed.↩