DEAR COUNT SCHULENBURG: We answered your letter of the 22d in our telegram of yesterday, (1) which will probably surprise you less than Herr Hilger, who was at hand at the birth of a very different sort of instruction. I feel that I still owe you a word of explanation. We are of the opinion here that the English-Russian combination certainly will not be easy to prevent. However, there may even today be a rather wide field of negotiation into which we may be able to inject ourselves with an impeding and disturbing effect by use of a more unmistakable sort of language. The possibility of success is considered here to be quite limited, so that one must weigh whether a very open statement in Moscow, instead of being beneficial, might not rather be harmful and perhaps produce a peal of Tartar laughter. In weighing these points of view, it had also to be considered that one link in the whole chain, namely, a gradual conciliation between Moscow and Tokyo, is regarded by the Japanese as distinctly problematical. Rome also was very hesitant, so that eventually the disadvantages of the proposed far-reaching step were regarded as the determining factor. In short, we will remain within the instructions which we have sent to you, and we now want to see how deeply Moscow on the one hand and Paris-London on the other are willing to pledge themselves to each other.
Your reports and judgments of the situation are naturally most welcome here at all times.
Our inquiries about the return here of the Soviet Russian Ambassador, Merekalov, are only of significance in relation to the future moves at the Kremlin.
Heartiest greetings and best wishes.to my lines above I must add that now, with the consent of the Fuhrer, a distinctly limited exchange of views with the Russians will take place by means of a conference which I am to hold today with the Russian Charge. You will, of course, be officially informed of developments. I need, therefore, not go more deeply into the matter here. W.
(1) Telegram not printed. Return to the Text