(1) The Czechoslovak National Committee has been formed. Beneš is its president (the French government has had to retract its objections against him). The committee has been recognized by England and France. On that basis, it receives some funds belonging to the former Czechoslovak state. The Czech army in France already numbers 10,000. It is expected to be increased to two divisions.

(2) Beneš is in a fairly difficult position. His policy up to now has been to steer a course between the British and the French on the one side and the Soviet government on the other. Now, with the Soviet Union having recognized Slovakia and Fierlinger

Zdeněk Fierlinger, Czechoslovakian minister to the Soviet Union, 1939–45.

having been deprived of his official status in Moscow, this task has become a great deal more difficult. Beneš is afraid of being ‘eaten up’ by Britain and France, with the result that the mistakes of 1914–1918 may be repeated. That is why Beneš’s mood at present is rather pessimistic.

(3) Germany’s current policy is aimed at bringing relations between the USSR and Western democracies to breaking-point. Finland is the means to achieve that. The German government wants to prolong the Finnish war, in the hope of causing a definitive split between the USSR and Western democracies. That is why the German government is not inclined to object to the neutral countries (Sweden, Norway and Italy) lending their support to Mannerheim and Co., and will not prevent them sending arms and volunteers to Finland. The transit of Italian arms to Finland via Germany was effectively agreed between Rome and Berlin. The Germans merely warned the Italians that should this be disclosed, they would have to undertake measures ‘to soothe the Russians’. The German government also turns a blind eye to the transit of weapons from Western countries via Scandinavia. What the German government cannot permit is the dispatch of Anglo-French troops via Sweden and Norway, as this could be dangerous for the Germans themselves. Should London and Paris try to follow such a course, Germany would interfere and exploit the opportunity to establish its dominance in Scandinavia (including control over Swedish ore).

(4) In the Balkans, Germany is resisting the formation of a Balkan bloc, as well as the consolidation of British, French and Turkish military positions. This is being done, in particular, by encouraging revisionism in Hungary and Bulgaria. Germany has now massed 43 divisions in Austria, Czechoslovakia and southern Poland. Evidently, she is prepared to threaten or even fight Rumania, through Hungary.

All this is rather interesting and has the ring of truth. Naturally, however, one needs to make allowances for the nature of the source.