State Secretary Weizsaecker to Ambassador Schulenburg - Relaxing Restrictions on Social Relations with Soviet Embassy in order to Ease German-Soviet Relations.
Source: Documents on German Foreign Policy , series D, vol. VI, p.1074. BERLIN, August 7, 1939 Received August 11.
DEAR COUNT VON DER SCHULENBURG: My best thanks for your letter of July 14 and for the suggestions contained therein. I also brought your letter to the attention of the Reich Foreign Minister. The Soviet-Russian Ambassador and the members of the Embassy staff here have generally been invited to all functions for which invitations are extended to the entire Diplomatic Corps. So far these invitations have in general not been accepted, but the Russian Counsellor of Embassy was present recently at the Day of German Art at Munich. This appearance was all the more remarkable as, apart from him, only a few Heads of Missions had accepted the invitation. According to information from the High Command of the Wehrmacht the Assistant Russian Military Attache who acts as Military Attache here is likewise invited to all general functions and has regularly accepted the invitations. As to the personal intercourse of all grades of officials with members of the Russian Embassy, this is regulated by the directive of which you are aware, which was issued by the Foreign Minister and stipulates that all intercourse be restricted to the minimum required officially. I hardly think that the time has yet come to recommend to the Foreign Minister the simple cancellation of this directive, but in future relaxation should take place in particular cases, each of which should be decided individually. I hope that by this we have taken the first step along the lines which you have in mind towards easing relations with the Soviet Russian Embassy here, and that in time this will have a stimulating effect on the difficult position in Moscow. With sincere greetings and Heil Hitler! Yours etc.,
