Oft-quoted, but usually the bolded part is missed. That’s about as clear a call for help as any politician has ever made. Was this reported widely in the US at the time? Did it have any impact on public opinion?
Most certainly the Americans wanted to bust up the British (and every other) Empire. Free trade is long-standing American aim. Self-government for all peoples was an American goal since Woodenhead Wilson. Tension between the Western Allies could get pretty prickly.
I am well aware of the British policy to support the weaker power in Europe. (That is how I play Civilization, by the way.) But in 1930s Europe, Soviet Russia was the power to be feared. An argument could have been made to ally with Germany against the disruptive force of Worldwide Communism.
In that way, the Germans could have gotten themselves into fighting a war against the Russians while the Brits stood by the sidelines cheering mad dogs as they kill each other.
But, they (the ruling class) did not do that. Instead the allied with Communists, an ideology that promised to destroy them.
Why did they do that? Why did they (and the French) guarantee Poland? Maybe they knew something.
The same thing occurred to Stalin. That’s why he made a pact with Hitler. All the attempts to reanimate the Triple Entente failed, despite Eden’s best efforts. The British government didn’t seek an alliance with the Soviets until they were isolated.
So Hitler was actually just misunderstood? Under-appreciated? Please I want to hear more.