Cablegram 43 LONDON, 6 April 1938, 5.03 p.m.
Your telegram 5th April, No. 37 [1]
The following is the text of two notes in question which were delivered to the German Minister for Foreign Affairs [2] by His Majesty’s Ambassador at Berlin [3] on April 2nd.
The first note:-
‘Your Excellency, I have the honour, on the instructions of His Majesty’s principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs [4], to inform Your Excellency that His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom have decided to withdraw His Majesty’s Legation from Vienna and replace it by a Consulate General. It is hoped to effect this change about April 15th and Mr D. St C. Gainer, C.M.G., O.B.E., at present His Majesty’s Consul-General in Munich, has been selected for the post of His Majesty’s Consul-General in Vienna.
In these circumstances I have the honour to request that an exequatur may be granted to Mr Gainer in his new capacity, and for this purpose I enclose his commission of appointment herewith.’
Second note:-
‘Your Excellency, With reference to my note of today’s date notifying the German Government of the decision of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom to replace His Majesty’s Legation at Vienna by a Consulate General, I have the honour, under instructions of His Majesty’s principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to inform you in this connection that Ms Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom naturally reserve their position in regard to questions relating to treaties and other matters which will arise in consequence of the “disappearance of Austria as a sovereign independent State.”
I shall have the honour in due course to address a further communication to Your Excellency on these matters.’
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1 Document 177.
2 Joachim von Ribbentrop.
3 Sir Nevile Henderson.
4 Viscount Halifax.
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[AA : A981, AUSTRIA 17, ii]