TELEGRAM RECEIVED
REB From: BERLIN
Dated March 11, 1938 Rec'd 3:40 p. m.
Secretary of State,
Washington. .
109, March 11, 5 p.m. (GRAY)
Embassy's 105, March 10, 7 p.m.
This morning's press publishes reports and warning comments with respect to the Austrian situation.
Pointing out that the Austrian Cabinet was not consulted with respect to the ballots the Völkischer Beobachter observes (one) that the vote is to be carried out under the supervision of the Fatherland Front which so soon after the Berchtesgaden agreement includes hardly any National Socialists, (two) as no identification is necessary there is no guarantee against repetitious voting as repeaters, (three) that the provision of only affirmative ballots and the fact that the voters will probably be forced to return their ballots- openly deprives the procedure of the "secret character 'distinguishes' elections in every civilized country". The Völkischer Beobachter terms the election a "tragic comedy" and a "most impudent parody of democracy".
The same paper reports large demonstrations by National Socialists in Vienna calling for "one people, one Reich". It also reproduces a Reuter despatch to the effect that Dr. Jury described as Seyss-Inquart's representative has demanded his followers to abstain from voting.
A development that must be considered as ominous in view of Hitler's stated mission to combat the Comintern is the fact that the Deutsches Nachrichten Büro reports communist manifestations in favor of Schuschnigg attended by cries of Heil Schuschnigg Heil Moscow and the display of the hammer and sickle. (End gray)
Berlin at the present moment is full of rumors which however cannot be confirmed. The. only authoritative information as yet at hand is the following telegram just received from the Consul General at Munich. "Troop movements and mobilization of reservists and automobiles going on all night. Active troops apparently moving toward Austria".
WILSON
CSB
1097
Telegram to the US secretary of state on reports in Berlin on political unrest in Austria and the movement of German troops toward Austria
Authors
Hugh R. Wilson (US ambassador in Berlin (1938))
Hugh R. Wilson
diplomat (1885-1946)
- Born: 1885-01-29 (Evanston)
- Died: 1946-12-29 (Bennington)
- Country of citizenship: United States of America
- Occupation: diplomat
- Position held: ambassador
- Educated at: Yale University
- VIAF ID: https://viaf.org/viaf/42738821
- ISNI: https://isni.org/isni/0000000108923203
Date: 11 March 1938
Total Pages: 3
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: L-291
HLSL Item No.: 450690
Notes:The first page is in English, followed by the text in German. This document was apparently not entered as evidence in the trial.
Document Summary
L-291: Telegram 109 from American Embassy Berlin to Secretary of State re German press attacks on proposed Austrian plebiscite and reports of Communist demonstrations for Schuschnigg, American Consul General, Munich reports troop movements toward Austria
Telegram 109 from American Embassy, Berlin, to Secretary of State re German press attacks on pro-posed Austrian plebiscite and reports of Communist demonstrations for Schusschnigg. American Consul General, Munich, reports troop movements toward Austria
L-291: A Report from the United States Embassy in Berlin, dated 11 March 1938 to the Secretary of State, Washington, D.C. The report states that the proposed election is a farce, since no identification is necessary and therefore there is no guarantee against repetitious voting. The voters will probably be forced to return their ballots openly, which deprives the procedure of the secret character.