27
862.00/3421
The Appointed
Minister to Austria (Messersmith) to the Under Secretary of State (Phillips)
BERLIN April 21, 1934.
DEAR MR. PHILLIPS:
In my last letter I mentioned that Miller,
[19] the Acting Commercial Attaché, was preparing a resume of the economic and
financial situation for the Embassy as part of the background information to be
presented to Mr. Child on his expected arrival here. As I anticipated, it is a very
excellent review of certain aspects of the situation here and I am sending a
copy to you now as I feel sure it will be of interest to you and to others in
the Department.
He has avoided, as was of course proper, in
his review a discussion of the political factors in the local situation, but
these have been pretty well brought out in my recent letters to you. The review
is interesting because it brings out some of the major details on which my own
conclusions expressed to you have been based. The review may be particularly
interesting to you in the Department when I say that Miller's conclusions have
been entirely independently arrived at and in no way influenced by my own, and
yet it will be apparent that we are very much in accord in our appraisal of the
situation.
Cordially and faithfully yours,
GEORGE S. MESSERSMITH
[Enclosure: Extracts]
APRIL 17, 1934
MEMORANDUM TO THE EMBASSY
MAIN PURPOSE OF NAZIS
The fundamental purpose is to secure a
greater share of the world's future for the Germans, the expansion of German
territory and
[19] Douglas Miller.
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DOCUMENTS
growth of the German race until it constitutes the largest and most
powerful nation in the world, and ultimately, according to some Nazi leaders,
until it dominates the entire globe.
The German people suffering from a
traditional inferiority complex, smarting from their defeat in the war and the
indignities of the post-war period, disillusioned in their hopes of a speedy
return to prosperity along traditional lines, inflamed by irresponsible
demagogic slogans and flattered by the statement that their German racial
inheritance gives them inherent superior rights over other peoples, have to a
large measure adopted the National Socialist point of view for the time being.
ECONOMIC AIMS
There are two other purposes subsidiary to
the main purpose. Germany is to be made the economic center of a
self-sustaining territorial block whose dependent nations in Central and
Eastern Europe will look to Berlin for leadership. This block is to be so constituted
that it can defy wartime blockade and be large enough to give the peoples in it
the benefits of free trade now enjoyed by the 48 American States. In accordance
with this purpose, an agricultural self-sufficiency program has been adopted,
foreign foodstuffs are being rigorously excluded or the imported supply secured
in increasing quantities from Central and Southeastern Europe. A hereditary
peasantry has been set up, firmly attached to the soil through the prohibition
of the sale or mortgaging of the peasants' land or crops. An increasing number
of commodities have been placed under Government monopolies with fixed prices
to consumers and producers, the principle of the numerus clausus or
fixed number of persons engaged in any occupation has been increasingly
adopted. The National Socialist conception of the correct or Government-fixed
price instead of the price fixed by supply and demand has been introduced.
SOCIAL AIMS
The second subsidiary purpose is the welding
of all individuals in the present and future Greater Germany into a homogeneous
racial family, gladly obedient to the will of its leader, with class and
cultural differences inside the country eliminated, but a sharp line drawn
between Germans and the foreign world outside. In carrying out this purpose,
the Jews are to be entirely eliminated, the Slavic or eastern elements in the
population to be minimized and eventually bred out of the race. A national
religion is in process of organization; trade unions, political parties and all
social, political, cultural, trade or
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DOCUMENTS
other organizations not affiliated with the National Socialist party,
have been abolished, the individual's rights have been largely taken away. In
the future the nation is to count for everything, the individual for nothing.
Germany is to engage in a gigantic struggle with the rest of the world to grow
at the expense of its neighbors. The German population owes the nation the
patriotic duty of supporting it and bringing forward all necessary sacrifices
to reach the common goal.
RETENTION OF POWER
To these long-distance objectives must be
added the fourth and most important purpose of all, namely to retain control at
all costs. The National Socialist party may compromise on distant objectives,
if necessary, but cannot compromise on a question of retaining its absolute
hold on the German people. This control had been gained by making most
irresponsible and extravagant promises; by the studied use of the press, the
radio, public meetings, parades, flags, uniforms, and all methods of working on
popular psychology and finally by the use of force. This control once lost,
could never be regained. It is absolutely necessary for the party to continue
to make a show of success and to keep popular enthusiasm and fanaticism alive.
There must be no open criticism or grumbling, even discussion of the future
form of the State, the form in which industry is to be organized, or the laws
regarding the hereditary peasantry is prohibited. Since the German public is politically
inept and unusually docile, the Nazi movement has been able to dominate the
situation for the past year, but the hard facts of the economic situation are
beginning to be felt by the more intelligent Germans, particularly bankers,
business men, professional men and persons who have touch with the outside
world.
DANGER OF WAR
The Nazis are not satisfied with the existing
map of Europe. They are at heart belligerent and aggressive. True, they desire
nothing more than a period of peace for several years in which they can
gradually re-arm and discipline their people. This period may be years, 10
years, or longer, but the more completely their experiments succeed the more
certain is a large-scale war in Europe some day.
NAZIS WANT TO WIPE OUT 1918
In estimating the aims and purposes of the
National Socialist movement, we must not make the mistake of putting too much
reliance on public statements designed for consumption abroad which breathe the
spirit of good peace and will and assert the intention of
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DOCUMENTS
the Government to promote the welfare of the German people and good
relations with their neighbors. Nor should we imagine that the present
Government leaders will feel and act as we would in their circumstances, namely
think only of Germany's welfare. The real emotional drive behind the Nazi
program is not so much love of their own country as dislike of other countries.
The Nazis will never be content in merely promoting the welfare of the German
people. They desire to be feared and envied by foreigners and to wipe out the
memory of 1918 by inflicting humiliations in particular upon the French, the
Poles, the Czechs and anybody else they can get their hands on.
A careful examination of Hitler's book and
his public speeches reveals the fact that he cannot be considered as absolutely
sane and normal on this subject. The same is true of many other Nazi leaders.
They have capitalized the wounded inferiority complex of the German people, and
magnified their own bitter feelings into a cult of dislike against the foreign
world which is past the bounds of ordinary good sense and reason. Let us repeat
this fact and let it sink in, the National Socialist movement is building a
tremendous military machine, physically very poorly armed, but morally
aggressive and belligerent. The control of this machine lies in the hands of
narrow, ignorant and unscrupulous adventurers who have been slightly touched
with madness from brooding over Germany's real or imagined wrongs, as well as
the slights and indignities thrown in their own individual way as they
attempted to organize the movement. Power of this kind concentrated in hands
like these is dangerous. The Nazis are determined to secure more power and more
territory in Europe. If this is voluntarily given to them by peaceful means,
well and good, but if not, they will certainly use force. That is the only
meaning behind the manifold activities of the movement in Germany today.