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Franklin Roosevelt Administration: Reich Government’s Reply to Roosevelt's Navy Day Speech

(November 1, 1941)

The Reich Government makes the following official announcement:

I. The President of the United States of America made the following statements in a speech Oct. 28:

"The Government of the United States is in possession of a secret map which was prepared in Germany by the Reich Government. It is a map of Middle South America as the Fuehrer wants to reorganize it in that he wants to make five subject states out of fourteen countries in this area and thereby bring the entire South American continent under his control. One of these five states allegedly should include the Republic of Panama as well as the Panama Canal.

"The American Government is in possession of a second document which was composed by the Reich government. This document contains a plan eliminating all existing religions in the world after the war is won by Germany. Catholic, Protestant, Mohammedan, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish religions are to be removed in the same way, church property confiscated, the crucifix and all other religious symbols forbidden, the clergy brought to silence under the penalty of the concentration camp.

"In place of the churches an international National Socialist church is to be established in which the speakers sent out by the National Socialist Government would perform offices. In place of the Bible, words out of the Fuehrer's book, "Mein Kampf," would be imposed by force and enforced as Holy Writ. The crucifix is to be replaced by the swastika and the naked sword and finally the Fuehrer is to take the place of God."

In answer the Reich Government declares:

1. There exists neither map prepared in Germany by the Reich Government regarding the dividing up of Central South America nor document pronounced by the Reich Government regarding the dissolution of religions in the world. Therefore both are forgeries of the clumsiest, grossest type.

2. Assertions of the conquest of South America by Germany and elimination of the religions of the churches in the world and their replacement by the National Socialist church are so nonsensical and absurd that it is superfluous for the Reich Government to discuss them.

The Reich Government has notified through diplomatic channels all neutral governments, including the Central South American governments, of the above.

II. The President of the United States of America declared in his speech of Oct. 28 that an American destroyer was attacked by German naval forces on Sept. 4 and another American destroyer on Oct. 17. The American Government was willing to avoid shooting. But the shooting has begun and history has established who fired the first shot. America has been attacked.

Reports of German U-boat commanders and published official declaration of the American Navy authorities actually show the following circumstances:

The American destroyer Greer was involved in an incident Sept. 4, the American destroyer Kearney in an incident Oct. 17. The destroyer Greer pursued a German U-boat for hours in close military cooperation with English naval forces. In the course of this pursuit this German U-boat, which was under water, was attacked with depth bombs.

Only after this attack did the German U-boat use its weapons. The destroyer continued its pursuit with depth bombs for a number of hours.

The destroyer Kearny was sailing as protector of one convoy as it received a call for help from a second convoy which was in battle action with German naval forces in another part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Kearny thereupon changed courses, went to the scene of the battle and attacked the German U-boat with depth bombs.

The American Secretary for the Navy, Knox, himself has confirmed that the Kearny has dropped depth charges and that not until some time after were three torpedoes fired at her, one of which struck the destroyer.

The Reich Government, therefore, declares that, first, the version given by President Roosevelt in his speech, that American destroyers had been attacked by German naval forces and that therefore Germany had attacked America, is not in accordance with the facts, and is, indeed, contradicted by the official statements of the American naval authorities themselves.

Secondly, that quite on the contrary, the two American destroyers had attacked German submarines and that therefore the United States had attacked Germany, a fact which has also been confirmed by the American naval authorities.


Sources: ibiblio