STATUS OF WILLIAM E. DODD AS APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY PENDING HIS RECEPTION BY PRESIDENT HINDENBURG 123 Dodd, William Edward/10 : Telegram The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Germany (Gordon) WASHINGTON, June 21, 1933-5 p.m. PHILLIPS 73. Ambassador Dodd plans to sail July 5. 123 Dodd, William Edward/13: Telegram The Chargé in Germany (Gordon) to the Acting Secretary of State BERLIN, June 26, 1933-4 p.m. [Received June 26-2:15 p.m.] 110. My 108, June 24, 1 p.m.38 Further information today from a confidential and authoritative source makes it seem more unlikely than ever that President Hindenburg will return to Berlin before well in September. I have reason to believe that the new British Ambassador will shape his plans accordingly and is likely not to come here until September whereas he originally intended to arrive in the beginning of August. I shall cable again on Friday on which date I hope to have further private and reliable information. Under the existing circumstances here it seems to me that it would be most unfortunate if the Ambassador were kept waiting 2 months before he could present his letter of credence. I urgently request that the Department advise me of its views in the premises. GORDON 123 Dodd, William Edward/16: Telegram The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Germany (Gordon) WASHINGTON, June 27, 1933-3 p.m. 77. Your 110, June 26, 4 p.m. The President is keenly desirous of having the Ambassador enter upon his duties as quickly as possible. Naturally, we would not desire to have the Ambassador placed in the somewhat anomalous position of waiting 2 months in Berlin before presenting his letter of credence. In the United States in similar circumstances in the past we have avoided the difficulty by one of the following two expedients: 1. Arranging for a Chief of Mission to present his letter of credence at a place other than Washington; 38 Not printed. 2. Recognizing the Chief of Mission as "appointed Ambassador or Minister" and permitting him to transact business with the Government pending the formal presentation of his letter. In the circumstances and in view of the expressed interest of the German Government that we accredit an Ambassador as soon as possible, we assume that an effort will be made to work out an arrangement along one of the above-mentioned lines. Please telegraph urgently. PHILLIPS 123 Dodd, William Edward/17: Telegram The Chargé in Germany (Gordon) to the Acting Secretary of State BERLIN, June 28, 1933-2 p.m. [Received June 28-11:25 a.m.] 111. Department's 77, June 27, 3 p.m. Foreign Office insists that new envoys cannot be received at Neudeck as all facilities for their proper official reception are lacking there. I pointed out that the retiring British Ambassador is being received there tomorrow but the Foreign Office categorically takes the position that this is an informal farewell luncheon; that his letter of recall will not be presented; and that the occasion is in no way an official one. Besides the two envoys mentioned in my telegram 108 of June 24, 1 p.m.,39 several others are expected to arrive in the near future so Foreign Office wishes to give further consideration as to just how to work out the second suggestion contained in your telegram under reference. The Foreign Office, however, is not clear as to exactly what you have in mind under the phrase "to transact business". I must admit that I also am not certain as to the proper interpretation of this phrase especially after studying the Department's unnumbered instruction of January 9, 1930 to Mr. Sackett which in the antepenultimate paragraph appears to set forth contradictory modes of procedure.40 If the Department could give me a fuller expression of its views it would be helpful as the Foreign Office informs me that it will communicate further with me tomorrow. 39 Not printed. The envoys are not identified in the telegram. 40 This paragraph reads as follows: "Under existing practice an Ambassador or Minister is considered not to have assumed charge of his mission until the date upon which his credentials are actually presented, and in the interim any official communications should be signed by the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, such communications, of course, having the approval of the newly appointed envoy. It may happen, however, that the formal audience of reception is delayed, in which case the Minister for Foreign Affairs may arrange for the transaction of diplomatic business with the new representative pending such reception. In that event the official duties of the representative begin immediately." (123 Sackett, Frederic M/11) 123 Dodd, William Edward/18: Telegram The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Germany (Gordon) WASHINGTON, June 28, 1933-6 p.m. 78. Your 111, June 28, 2 p.m. When circumstances necessitate a delay in the formal audience of reception, this Government has pursued the following procedure: The Secretary of State has addressed a note in the following terms to the appointed Ambassador or Minister: "I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of (date), informing the Department that you have taken charge of the Embassy of (country) as Appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. "In view of the President's inability to receive you at this time, I will be glad to accord you provisional recognition as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of (country), as of the date of presentation of the office copy of your credentials on (date); formal recognition to be accorded you when the President receives you in audience. "I will be glad to make arrangements later for your presentation to the President and the delivery of your letters of credence." Thereafter the new Envoy is permitted to transact any business. PHILLIPS 123 Dodd, William Edward/20: Telegram The Chargé in Germany (Gordon) to the Acting Secretary of State BERLIN, June 30, 1933-3 p.m. [Received June 30-noon.] 114. My 112, June 29, 1 p.m.41 Foreign Office thinks general idea of the procedure suggested by you is acceptable. Foreign Office states that the Ambassador would have access to the Foreign Minister and anyone else in the Foreign Office and thus could as a practical matter transact business, though official communications should be signed by me and in any official representation of the Embassy I should act as Chargé as aside from his informal relationship with the Foreign Office the Ambassador will have no official status until presenting his letters especially vis-à-vis the diplomatic corps. My latest confidential information from the source mentioned in my 110, June 26, 4 p.m., is that the President may return to Berlin at the end of August but of course this is still only a possibility. When a definite decision is reached please telegraph me as to exact date of the Ambassador's arrival here, who will accompany him, and what accommodations it is desired that I secure for him. Also if the Department desires that the Ambassador be met prior to his arrival in Berlin. Please cable travel authorization. 41 Not printed. GORDON 123 Dodd, William Edward/23 : Telegram The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Germany (Gordon) WASHINGTON, June 30, 1933-4 p.m 80. Your 114, June 30, 3 p.m. The Foreign Office seems to have missed the purpose of the procedure that we proposed day before yesterday and that we have ourselves followed in analogous cases. Official correspondence takes place between the incumbent of the Embassy and the Foreign Office, the only difference being that it is addressed to and signed as "appointed Ambassador" rather than as Ambassador. In view of the technical and clearly unhelpful attitude which you report, I am asking the German Chargé d'Affaires to come to see me and impressing upon him the inconsistency between the desire expressed that we hasten the appointment of an Ambassador and the present position taken at the Foreign Office. You will appreciate the importance of settling this problem before the arrival of Ambassador Dodd who will sail on July 5 in order to prevent embarrassment and inevitable unpleasant publicity. PHILLIPS 123 Dodd, William Edward/24 Telegram The Chargé in Germany (Gordon) to the Acting Secretary of State BERLIN, July 1, 1933-1 p.m. [Received July 1-11:05 a.m.] 116. Department's 80, June 30, 4 p.m. Foreign Office has shown me a telegram just sent to its Embassy in Washington which I hope will provide a solution of this question satisfactory to you. In it the Foreign Minister states that he will receive any and all communications signed by the Ambassador as "appointed Ambassador". This marks a distinct step in advance upon the Foreign Office's position as given to me yesterday and I understand that it was only decided upon this morning, consequently your action vis-à-vis the German Chargé d'Affaires appears to have been most helpful, however, I must say frankly that my impression has not been that the Foreign Office wished to be unhelpful but merely that the problem presented was completely new to it and that it was trying to feel its way as witness this latest decision. In the Foreign Office's instruction to its Embassy in Washington it is also stated as a "probability" that the President will come to Berlin towards the end of July which, as the Department will note from my telegrams, provides a more satisfactory prospective than had at any time previously been held out to me. As regards the protocolary side of the question the Foreign Office's statement reported in my telegram No. 114 as to the Chargé d'Affaires acting in such official representation of the Embassy as might arise, was only intended to refer to the existing state of fact in the Berlin Diplomatic Corps. This has just recently received fresh application in the case of one of the envoys here waiting to present his letter of credence by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps specifically requesting him to send no cards and to make no official calls upon his colleagues and refraining even from returning this envoy's call until he shall have presented his letter of credence. However, it does not seem to me that this constitutes any such obstacle as to prevent the Ambassador from sailing on schedule and I imagine the Department will concur in this view. I do indeed appreciate the importance of settling this problem in order to prevent embarrassment and it was with this in mind that I have sent my various telegrams beginning with my 108 of June 24, 1 p.m.,42 and had frequent interviews at the Foreign Office, inasmuch as it was apparent that it had not envisaged the program in the light that you had. I very much hope that this latest exchange of views provides a satisfactory solution and should appreciate it if you could so inform me. GORDON 123 Dodd, William Edward/29 : Telegram The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Germany (Gordon) WASHINGTON, July 5, 1933-10 a.m. 83. The procedure outlined in your No. 116 of July 1, 1 p.m. appears satisfactory. PHILLIPS [Ambassador Dodd assumed charge of the Embassy on July 14, 1933. He was received by President von Hindenburg on August 30. (123 Dodd, William E./36, 45.)] ATTACKS UPON AMERICAN CITIZENS IN GERMANY 43 362.1113/1 Telegram The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) WASHINGTON, August 18, 1933-1 p.m. 98. Department is most concerned over the continued attacks on American citizens in Germany and requests you, after consultation with 42 Not printed. 43 For additional correspondence, see telegram No. 31, March 8, 3 p.m., from the Ambassador in Germany, p. 321, and despatch No. 1196, March 21, from the Consul General at Berlin, p. 323. |