-of
Si
NO. 1108.
(C 14460/16/18)
I
My Lord,
1 ' ?¦ «0
Jh^        *       ;        F9BBI6N OFFICE, S.W.I.
(1  tl*r       j^*^     28th September, X939.
fill
HH
1 nnr»>
I asKed Br* Weizmann to come and see me on the 18th
September as I had learnt that he Intended shortly to visit
the United states of America and I was advised that it would i>e
worth-while having a little talk with him   before he went there
2. Dr. weizmann began by speaking about the German-Soviet
pact, in regard to which his conclusion was that the ultimate
issue of those arrangements might not at all turn out to the
advantage of Germany.     she had deprived herself of the
opportunity of going for the Ukraine and exposed herself,
certainly in East Prussia, to all the dangers of Bolstyevising
influence*     she might no doubt draw supplies from the Soviet
Union, but he felt very confident that she would get nothing
without payment.
3. Dr. weizmann than spoke at some length about the
unhappy position of Jews in Poland and the possibility that in
the soviet Union the policy of the government towards his
oo-religionists might revert to that of caarist days* Every
jew now realised that this was a war in which they must be
vitally interested to assist in securing a victory to the
Allies, and he was doing everything that he could in that
direction*     He asked me, if 1 were satisfied of his
sincerity and purpose, to do anything that I could to assist
him In maintaining his contacts in the several countries
from/
His Excellency
The Meat Honourable
The Marquess of Lothian, C«H»,
etc*,     etc-, etc*,
Washington*
INfEX
3
from which he might be able to get information useful
to us.     I undertook to do what I could to help him in
this direction.
4.     In regard to his visit to the United States
of America* Dr. T/eizmann said that he was fully alive to
the danger of that visit being misinterpreted by the
isolationists in the sense of saying that it was evidence
of the Jewish desire to see America involved.     He was
accordingly going there on Palestine business and had
received a cordial message of encouragement from Mr.
Cordell Hull.     While there he would wish to be guided
by any advice that Your Lordship might give him. $ He
was very confident of being able to secure substantial
help for the allied cause through the influence of Jews
in many important posts connected with the press, banks,
industry and films.     He told me that he had just heard
from a leading Jew at Hollywood instructing him to put his
correspondent down for 500,000 dollars in the first war loan
that we might issue.    He hoped to be able to find others
similarly minded.     I told him that whatever he could do
in any of these directions, provided, of course, that he
could be careful to avoid the dangers to which he had himself
alluded, would obviously be all to the good.
5*     Dr. Weizmann spoke about the possibility of Jews
forming Jewish units or cadres at least which Jewish
recruits might join©     I told him this was not a matter on
which I OQUld speak with any knowledge, but that I should
suppose it might, at the present stage at all events, be
very difficult to fit theae rather isolated pieces of effort
into the general military effort that was being made*
At the same time I had no doubt that we were all very
sensible/
f
5sO
Sensible of the value of any contribution that it was
in the power of the Jewish community to render, and
certainly no community could be more interested in helping
to secure the defeat of Germany than his owru
6*     Throughout our interview Dr. v/eizmann made
no reference to Palestine, beyond saying that it was
necessarily in cold storage, and that he thought we should
derive vastly more assistance from the Jews than from the
Arabs.
I am, with great truth and respect,
My Lord,
Your Excellency's obedient Servant,
(For the Secretary of State)
/