The same text had been sent to Hans Thomsen, the German chargé d'affaires in Washington, with instructions to present it to Cordell Hull, the United States Secretary of State at 3:30 pm, German summer time, 8:30 am Eastern Standard Time.[15] On their arrival however, Hull refused to see the German delegation and it was not until 9:30 that they were able pass their note to Ray Atherton, the head of the Division of European Affairs.[16] In Berlin, there was consternation that Mussolini had decided to preempt Hitler and declare war in a speech from the balcony at the Palazzo Venezia at 2:45 pm; an estimated crowd of 100,000 gathered to hear his speech which lasted only four minutes.[17]