Office of the Historian

740.00119 European War 1939/75: Telegram

The Chargé in Germany (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

Berlin, October 11, 1939—8 p.m.
[Received 9:05 p.m.]

1683. My 1664, October 10, 7 p.m.87 and 1628, October 7, 5 p.m. There is every indication that Hitler’s Reichstag speech and his address of yesterday have raised the morale of the rank and file of the German people and have strengthened still further the Fuehrer’s position in the country. Hitler has stated that he wants peace and this desire is shared by the German people. He has also made it clear that if peace is not forthcoming he will be prepared for military action and his past record does not contain conspicuous instances wherein he refrained from pursuing the course which he declared. If therefore no intervention is forthcoming which might lead to a respite or to the initiation of peace overtures there is reason to believe that he will in this instance also follow the course he has declared and that despite the lack of enthusiasm for the war the discipline and strength of the regime will enable the initiation and for the time being at least the prosecution with all available means of the action his policies dictate.

Kirk
  1. Not printed; it reported Hitler’s speech at the opening on October 10 of the “Great German War Winter Help Campaign, 1939–1940.” (740.00119 European War 1939/70)↩