English Translation

bE -6- We must not allow political prejudices or the attempt to impose a special political doctrine on the French to distract British foreign policy from pursuing a goal of France - namely a narrow and lasting duck. No one can say what political system will prevail in France. But this is France's business and does not need to worry about England. For England, with regard to France, one consideration must precede all others - that it should be strong, united and a loyal ally, whether liberal or authoritarian, republican or royalist. French unity can only arise from within, and what England can do about it is little, except that it keeps away from political differences in France and is always a loyal friend of the French people, without any respect for its political character. It may take a long time for France to recover. It has itself - to future greatness, as far as political and military power is concerned, it will hardly be what it once was for many years to come. The importance of Western Europe is sinking, including that of Germany, even beyond the decline resulting from its defeat. It will be much worse devastated by the Second World War than by the first. His losses are much greater, both in terms of people and material, and it will take longer to make up for them. It is hard to imagine that at least the present generation of Germans will easily go back to war against Russia - or England - and Germany, as well as France and England, will be a country of the old rather than the young. -7-