740.00/2138: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:58 p.m.]
2050. Personal for the President. I now have in written form the report made in Vienna on March 12th last by two leading Nazis, Secretary of State Wilhelm Keppler and Director General Vogl, to which I referred in my telegram No. 565, March 25, 1 p.m.24 The report reads as follows:
“On Wednesday March 8th a conference was held at the Fuehrer’s which was attended by personalities from the army, economic circles and the party. ‘Austria’ was represented by Gauleiter Buerkel in addition to those mentioned above.
[Page 673]Certain economic and labor problems were discussed first. Then the Fuehrer spoke. First he declared that the four-year plan was a last resort. The real problem for the German people was to assure for itself the sources from which could be obtained the raw materials necessary for its well-being. In addition in order to enjoy this well-being enemies of the German people must be exterminated radically: Jews, democracies and the ‘international powers’. As long as those enemies had the least vestige of power left anywhere in the world they would be a menace to the peace of the German people.
In this connection the situation in Prague was becoming intolerable. In addition Prague was needed as a means of access to those raw materials. Consequently orders have been issued to the effect that in a few days not later than the 15th of March Czechoslovakia is to be occupied militarily.25
Poland will follow.26 We will not have to count on a strong resistance from that quarter. German domination over Poland is necessary in order to assure for Germany Polish supplies of agricultural products and coal.
As far as Hungary and Rumania are concerned they belong without question to Germany’s vital space. The fall of Poland and adequate pressure will undoubtedly bring them to terms. We will then have absolute control over their vast agricultural and petroleum resources. The same may be said for Yugoslavia.
This is the plan which will be realized until 1940. Even then Germany will be unbeatable.
In 1940 and 1941 Germany will settle accounts once and for all with her hereditary enemy: France. That country will be obliterated from the map of Europe. England is an old and feeble country weakened by democracy. With France vanquished Germany will dominate England easily and will then have at its disposition England’s riches and domains throughout the world.
Thus having for the first time unified the continent of Europe according to a new conception, Germany will undertake the greatest operation in all history: with British and French possessions in America as a base we will settle accounts with the ‘Jews of the dollar’ (dollar juden) in the United States. We will extermine this Jewish democracy and Jewish blood will mix itself with the dollars. Even today Americans can insult our people, but the day will come when, too late, they will bitterly regret every word they said against us.
Among those present, some were very enthusiastic while others seemed much less so.”
I feel certain of the authenticity of this report which you will note was made before the invasion of Czechoslovakia. Countless other pieces of evidence indicate with equal certainty that Hitler intends first to defeat France and England then to take their fleets and to attack the Americas in conjunction with Japan.
I am entirely certain that if France and England should be unable to defeat Hitler in Europe American soldiers will have to fight his forces in the Americas.
[Page 674]The opinion of our military and naval officers at this mission as well as the opinion of leading men and British military men with whom I have talked is that an embargo by the United States against shipments of airplanes and war materials to France and England will mean inevitably the defeat of France and England.
I therefore consider those who advocate today the maintenance of this embargo not only ignorant allies [of] Hitler but also war mongers for America since if they should be able to maintain the embargo they would make it certain that American soldiers would have to meet Hitler’s armies in the Americas.
It is the opinion of the same military men that I have cited above that if the embargo on supplies to France and England should be lifted immediately France and England would have a 60% chance of winning the war without the participation of a single American soldier.
[For text of the President’s message to the special session of Congress, September 21, 1939, requesting amendment of the Neutrality Act, see Department of State Bulletin, September 23, 1939, page 275, or Congressional Record, volume 85, page 10.]