Certificate, cover letter, and the German government's rejection of the British protest against German actions regarding Austria, describing German-Austrian relations as an internal matter, denying German intimidation, and stating that Germany acted in response to Austrian requests

Foreign Office, London, S.W. 1.
29th. November, 1945.
I, Sir David John Montagu-Douglas-Scott, K.C.M.G., a Deputy Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, hereby certify that the document hereto attached and marked "I.", is a true copy of a despatch, dated 13th March, 1938, addressed by the British Ambassador at Berlin to His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in London;
And I further certify that the document hereto attached and marked "L." is a true copy of the enclosure referred to in the aforesaid document marked "L."
/s/ David Scott
[seal]
LONDON
"I" No. 242 (52/248A/38)
His Majesty's Ambassador at Berlin presents his compliments to H. M. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit to him the under-mentioned documents.
British Embassy, Berlin.
13th March, 1938.
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Reference to previous correspondence:
Berlin telegram No. 104 of 12th March Description of Enclosure.
Name and date Subject.
From: Baron von Neurath German action in Austria,
to Sir N. Henderson .
dated 12th March
Copy
"L" #229 The President
of the Secret Cabinet Council
Berlin, 12th March 1938
Your Excellency,
In a letter of the 11th of March Your Excellency has informed us that the royal British Government had received the news that a German ultimatum was presented, in Vienna, demanding the resignation of the Chancellor, his replacement by the Minister of the Interior, the formation of a new Cabinet with a two-thirds majority of national socialist members and the readmittance of the Austrian Legion. In case these reports should prove right, the Royal British Government have protested against such coercion based on force and exerted on an independent country in order to create a situation incompatible with its national independence.
In the name of the German Government I must point out here that the Royal British Government has no right to assume the role of a protector of Austria's independence. In the course of diplomatic consultations on the Austrian question, the German Government never left any doubt with the Royal British Government that the formation of relations between Germany and Austria could not be considered anything but the inner concern of the German people and that, it did not affect third Powers. It is superfluous to reiterate the historical and political reasons for this standpoint.
For this reason the German Government must, as a matter of course, reject as unacceptable the conditional protest lodged by the Royal British Government.
In reference to the news mentioned in your letter, that the German Government had made ultimative demands in Vienna, the German Government nevertheless does not want to neglect, for the sake of truth, to ascertain the following regarding the évents of the last days:
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Recognizing the dangers that resulted from the situation in Austria that had become intolerable, the German Reich Chancellor, a few weeks ago, had brought about a conference with the then Austrian Chancellor. It had as its aim to try once more to meet these dangers by agreeing on measures that could guarantee a tranquil and peaceful development serving the interests of both countries as well as the interests of the entire German people. The agreement of Berchtesgaden, had it been carried out loyally on the part of Austria in the sense of the announcement of 12 February, would have guaranteed just such a development..
Instead, the former Austrian Chancellor announced on the evening of the 9th of March the surprising and arbitrary resolution, decided on by himself, to hold an election within a few days, which, under the prevailing circumstances and especially according to the details provided for the execution of the election, could and was to have the sole purpose of oppressing politically the predominant majority of the population of Austria. As could have been foreseen, this procedure, being a flagrant violation of the agreement of Berchtesgaden, led to a very critical point in Austria's internal situation. It was only natural that the members of the then Austrian Cabinet who had not taken, part in the decision for an election, protested very strongly against it. Therefore, a crisis of the Cabinet occurred in Vienna which, on the 11th of March, resulted in the resignation of the former Chancellor and in the formation of a new Cabinet. It is untrue that the Reich used forceful pressure to bring about this development. Especially the assertion which was spread later by the former Chancellor, that the German Government had presented the Federal President with a conditional ultimatum, is a pure invention; according to the ultimatum he had to appoint a proposed candidate as Chancellor and to form a Cabinet conforming to the proposals of the German Government, otherwise the invasion of Austria by German troops was held in prospect. The truth of the matter is that the question of sending military or police forces from the Reich was only brought up when the newly formed Austrian Cabinet addressed a telegram, already published by the press, to the German Government, urgently asking for the dispatch of German troops as soon as possible in order to restore peace and order and to avoid bloodshed. Faced with the immediately threatening danger of a bloody civil war in Austria, the German Government then decided to comply with the appeal addressed to it.
This being the state of affairs, it is impossible that the attitude of the German Government, as asserted in your letter, could
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lead to some unforeseeable reactions. A complete picture of the political situation is given in the proclamation which, at noon today, the German Reich Chancellor has addressed to the German people. B^gerous reactions to this situation can take place only if evëntually a third party should try to exercise its influence, . contrary to the peaceful intentions and legitimate aims of the German Government on the shaping of events in Austria, which would be incompatible with the right of self-government of the German people.
Please accept, Mr. Ambassador, the expression of my deepest respect.
Signed: Freiherr von Neurath
To: His Excellency the Royal British Ambassador, Sir Neville
Henderson, Berlin.