Forhaabninger men mere paa hvordan under Krigens Forløb Jeres Overbevisning maatte blive mindre stærk og til Slut ende med Visheden om Tysklands Nederlag, derfor vil det jo ikke være uforstaaeligt at det maaske er svært for Jer at holde Rede paa, hvordan Udtalelser fra tysk Side fra Aar til Aar ændredes under den skiftende Baggrund. Jeg husker derimod ganske nøje hvad Indtryk det gjorde paa mig, da Du i Begyndelsen af Samtalen uden nogen Forberedelse meddelte mig at Du var sikker paa, at Krigen, om den varede længe nok dertil, vilde blive afgjort med Atomvaaben. Jeg svarede jo slet ikke derpaa men da Du muligvis opfattede dette som Tvivl, fortalte Du hvordan Du i de sidste Aar næsten udelukkende havde beskæftiget Dig med Spørgsmålet og var ganske sikker paa, at det kunde gøres,

hopes, but more of how, during the course of the war, your conviction had to become less strong and finally end with the certainty of Germany’s defeat. Therefore it would not be incomprehensible if it were difficult for you to keep track of how, against the background of changing circumstances, statements on the part of the Germans changed from year to year. On the other hand I remember quite clearly the impression it made on me when, at the beginning of the conversation, you told me without preparation that you were certain that the war, if it lasted long enough, would be decided with atomic weapons. I did not respond to this at all, but as you perhaps regarded this as an expression of doubt, you related how in the preceding years you had devoted yourself almost exclusively to the question and were quite certain that it could be done,