863.00/989
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Austrian Minister called for the purpose, to quote him, of thanking the United States Government and its officials for the sympathy and friendly consideration exhibited in connection with the recent tragedy that had overtaken the Austrian Government and the Austrian people in the death of Chancellor Dollfuss.
I inquired casually what in the Minister’s judgment would be the course of governmental affairs in Austria during the early future. He replied that the new régime which succeeded that of Dollfuss belonged to the same political group and that it would crush and wipe out the Nazi influence in Austria; that conditions were at present steadily moving in the direction of normalcy and that he saw nothing serious ahead in the early future. He said that Dollfuss had often expressed his purpose as contemplating more friendly relations with Germany, but that he never had the opportunity to consummate this desire on his part on account of interference of some kind at just the wrong time.
The Minister expressed the view that Hitler would probably make himself President to succeed von Hindenburg and would find a way to retain all his present power; that Hitler never surrendered power.