Confidential report from Robert Brennan to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(108/56/40) (Copy)

The general view here is that England has now little or no chance of avoiding defeat, and that while helping her with supplies as long as she holds out, America should concentrate on home defense. There is a faint hope that the Russian activity (which consists of grabbing contiguous countries, a policy which in this case finds no word of condemnation here because it is supposed to weaken Germany's position) may delay the attack on England, and enable her to stave off defeat until the winter when the chances might be more equal.

(A hundred times during the past week I have been asked why we should not in time call England to our assistance to stave off a possible invasion. When I try to give the reasons the questioners look as if they would like to shrug impatiently and turn away).

The American Fleet sailed from Hawaii last week presumably bound for the Atlantic. Key Pittman, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate, who often talks out of turn, suggested that the British Government should give up the fight since they have no chance, and later stated that the British Fleet was going to join the U.S. fleet in the Atlantic. Three days later the U.S. Fleet returned to Hawaii, and the Fleet Commander announced that he had been engaged in a routine war game. It was noted, however, that in the meantime the high officials of the Japanese Government had come out for a Monroe policy for Eastern Asia.