860M.01 Memel/581: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 22—2:45 p.m.]
541. Rochat58 read to Wilson telegrams received by the Foreign Office last night and early this morning from which it appears that, in the interview between the Lithuanian Foreign Minister and Von Ribbentrop, on March 20 [the latter?] demanded that Lithuania abandon the Memel territory outright to the Reich; that if this demand were accepted the German Government would grant economic facilities [Page 90] and the use of the port to Lithuania and would be glad to receive a Lithuanian delegation in Berlin to work out details. If this demand were refused the German Army would immediately occupy the Memel territory and no guarantee could be given as to the limits which might be fixed for the advance of the German forces.
The German Government demanded a reply by March 24. Furthermore Von Ribbentrop warned the Lithuanian Foreign Minister not to appeal to any other Government in this matter.
The Lithuanian Government tried to obtain an extension of the time limit of the ultimatum but failed to do so. Under the circumstances it had no choice other than to accept the German terms and had so notified the German Government last night.
Rochat said that there was as yet no indication whether Germany after the annexation of the Memel territory intended to take further action against Lithuania designed to reduce this country to the status of a protectorate.
- Charles-Antoine Rochat, Assistant Director of Political and Commercial Affairs at the French Foreign Office.↩