PAGE 4.—HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
THE FIRST
INSTALMENT
arrived in Berlin on April 30, 1937. May 1 le celo brated as the great labour holiday in Germany and largely devoted to speech mak- Ing. It furnished me with my first opportunity to see Hitler and hear him spenk in person.
Since i had not yet presented my letters of credence, I wont on that day "quite unofficially, Arut to the German Opera House and afterwards to the Lustgar- ton. I wne accompanied by the first secretary of His Majesty's Embassy, Mr. Kirkpatrick.
At tho Opera House, where I was given a place apart from the other Heads of Missions, though Hitler was present, it was Dr. Goobbols who spoke. The subject was art and litera- ture, and I must admit that I was charmed both by the natural fluency of his manner of speak- ing and his extremely agreeable voice. As politics did not enter into his subject, it was free from the venom, casuistry, and lics which were the normat fenture of his usual propagan- dist outpourings.
At the Lustgarten, after an introductory speech by Dr. Ley, it was Hitler himself who nd- dressed the packed crowd, drawn up in organised formation be. fore him.
n
His speech contained scathing reference or so to the eireto democracies, particu- Jarly Britain, against whom there was, as usual, a Press campaign raging at the time, but in the main it was direct- ed ngainst Jewish influences in Russin.
In speaking about Germany he used one phrase which stuck in my mind. It was that "no people could escape its own des- tiny," and referred to the neces- aity for the German people to put up with hardship in order to make itself independent af other nations and to fight, if needs.be, in eastern Europe in order to Bocure moro "Lobensraum" or 'space for development.
Hitler and mob psychology
Germany's sorrows, though sho greatly exaggerates them, are not altogether of her own
Albrezy, Smpreme Court
Sir Nevile Henderson
TO-DAY, in this first instalment of Sir Nevile Henderson's graphic story of events in Germany in 1937-39, you read about the late Ambassador's impressions of the man who plunged the world. into war.
To-morrow Sir Nevile will tell you about the "Dinister and menacing impression" he received at the Nuremberg Rally, of Hitler's coolness when he tried to revive the plan for a friendly visit to London by Baron von Neurath, and of Goering's hint that the Nazis might decide to revise, the Anglo-German Naval Treaty despite Sir Nevile's warning: "That would lead inevitably to war." Mussolini-I doubt if he was
elther interested in or knew very much about the details of the machine which func- tioned In his name. But ho not its cource, put it in motion or stopped it accord- ing to his
own
I
plan.
my first year in constantly asked those in closest touch with Hitler
what his chief consisted. I was told
in
eranimously, in
say, his
his
(lip-of- feeling) that is to of opportunity,
pense
allfed with clearness of mind and decision of purpose.
The typical example which wns quoted of this was his decision
to reoccupy the Rhineland in 1936, which was taken contrary to the warning of his General Staff and of all his closest ad- visers.
Germany was at that timo militarily not strong enough Lo disregard A
French veto, and his ful- towers ahrank from an act which would, they bellov- ed, he forethly opposed by the Western Powers.
HITLER:
MAN OF
INSANE
FURIES
Hitler's instinct told him that the latter would accept an accomplished fact, and he disregarded all warnings to the contrary. The event prov- ed him right and greatly re- inforced his prestige, not only among his own immediate Hupporters, but throughout Germany as a whole.
Incidentally It was probably the last opportunity when it would still have been possible for Britain and France to linve said "no" to the Dletator without being obliged to go to war to enforce that "no".
chance to see him under normal conditions and to talk to him as man to man.
Except for a few brief words at chance meetings, I never met him except upon official, and invari- ably, disagreeable business. He never attended informal parties, at which diplomatists might be present, and when friends of mine did try to arrange it, he al- ways got out of meeting me in such a manner on the ground of precedent
Up to a period in his career he was accessible to foreigners, to whom he readily accorded inter views, but he gradually became
People shackled less so, and he had apparently
making. Her geographicni po by machine
had a good deal to do
with their creation, and one of the most obvious, but often least appreciated, truths in the world Is that foreign policy la to a greater
by extent governed geography than by anything else. I was at the time, however, more interested in the individual
AVIK,
Be that a48 it may, Hitler, whatever the external impres- sion which he may give and whatever may be one's judg ment of him,” based, as mine on a superficial personal acquaintance, is, or at least and in the psychology-of-the-began-by-being, a visionary-of- crowd than in the actual worda poken. I found, as I had done in listening to Hitler's speechos on the radio when I was British Minister at Belgrade, his voice harsh and unsympathetic.
But he had the gift of oratori- cal exhortation, and the people soomed to appreciate what he Bald.
Yet it was a lovely day, and I could but feel that the crowd would have preferred to be amusing themselves elsewhere rather than standing, packed like disciplined sardines, listen- ing to the kind of speech that they must have heard often their enough, and shouting "Piula" whenever Hitlor rained his voice rather higher than. usual or paused to mark his point in his flow of oratory.
It was impossible, indeed, not to wonder, on that occasion and up to the last, wherein the groniness of Hitler lay, by what means he had succeeded in Im- posing himself as the undisputed Lender of a great people, and what was the to me-hidden source of his influence over his followers and of their complete subservience to him. To con vince onesolf of his greatness, one had to remember hla actual deeds and judge by facts.
in
ап
National Sociallam Is a To- volution, and if, apart from his demagogic faculties, Hitler had one quality which placed him unassailable position above the rest of his follow revolutionaries, it was his faith -faith in Germany, faith in his mission for Germany, tnd, alaal increasingly arrogant faith in himself and his own greatness Faith and will power.
I once watched Hitler review his black-bad-brown shirtod The march past lasted army. for four hours, and practically
gonius and a man who was able to tell the German people what it was that they wanted." So long as he procured it for them without war, his word was absolute and thoir confid- ence in him was unshaken.
it
The first shock to their belief his infallibility came in September, 1938, when ho led thom to the abys of war over the Sudeten German question.
Many Germans must then' have asked themselves whether Hitler by that time was still tilaklag of Germany or only of himself, his party, and his per- sonal ambitions. They may be thinking it still more to-day. But by this time the shackles of
A
rooted aversion to private con- tacts with diplomatists, whom, us a category, he distrusted. Tho greater one becomes the more one is obliged to live on a pedestal, lest, if one descends from it, one with loses, through commerce ordinary people, the godlike at- tributes of greatness. No man la a hero to his valet, and Hitler may have taken that, saying to heart.
He was a true demagogue, and crowds stimulated him, but social life of any sort bored him.
He ked company of his intimate friends, whom he could harangue to his heart's delight. but he always looked self-conscious when he had to entertain the diplomatic corps, which happened normally three times a year: at his New Year's reception, at his annual dinner to the heads of missions, and at the ten-party which he gave for them in September during the Party Rally at Nuremberg.
Never did
Sir Nevile Henderson in Barlin
have thought that, since de magogical cloquence swayed the masses, It must have D simllar effect on the individual.
Anyway, with his own people he seems to have claimed the monopoly of the talking, though he was probably attentive enough if he had anything which ho wished to learn from them.
But contradiction was insup- portable to him, and if anyone attempted it, as General, von Fritsch did in January 1938, he was dismissed.
I never heard of his ever do ing a generous action. On the other hand, one of his most marked characteristics WAS sheer vindictiveness, and his resentments were enduring and intensely disagreeable for any one on whom it was in his power to exercise them.
I am not surprised that his followers were afraid of him.
For others, if there was any doubt whatsoever, it would prob ably have been made much more searching and difficult,
It was part of the show to give the impression of a beloved ruler, unafraid and reliant on the de- votion of his people.
But in the forest which sur- rounded the villa (Berghof) stood the barracks of his special bodyguard of blackshirts, and its
and trees
bushes probably con- alert cealed numbers of highly and expert gunmen.
on
He had, withal, another bolt- hole in the form of an eyrle the summit of a yet higher moun- tain peak. It could only be reach- ed
road built for some indica by out of the solld rock, through bronze doors let into the mountain side, and by a lift tunnelled in the mountain itself. It was said to be guarded on all sides by machine- guns, but I never saw it myself, and can only write from hearsay.
They had plenty of examples of Would march Army
his capacity for revenge to inti- midate them.
His defect in this respect was -his-tragedy, as it is ecessarily No man of that of any dictator.
сап long Independent mind tolerate the lack of all freedom of utterance.
Liked company
of pretty women
Unable to express views which may be contrary to those of their master the best men leave him one
by one, Hils entourage stendily and inexorably deteriorates, until at the end he surrounded by mere and ac- yes-men where flattery quiescence are alone endurable to hlm. That, too, was Hitler's fate the last year which I spent
duriin.
in
the Nazi organisation and ro- generous action cou
gime are so riveted on the whole country that what the German people themselves may feel or want is a matter of indifference to a system which must go for- ward or end, to individuals who must remain in power or become nobodies again, and to a leader whose ambitions have now be come a form of hysterical meg- aloniania. Sic volo sic jubeo is now Hitler's only creed. And he has behind him the whole might of the German army, which has taken the loyalty to him, as well as solid organisation of the party which owos its very existence to him, and the fanaticul on- thusiasm of the entire credulous youth of the country, which has been taught to avorship force and Hitler.
onth af the
Tho German peoplo in the mnes are but grist for the mill. and as one of them, whom I met by clianco after war had been declare, sald to me. "Wir sind zu klein, wir. konnen nichta machen" ("Wo aro too small, we can do nothing.")
I was once asked by a German acquaintance who must, in view of his former. official position, have had many talks with him, whether I ever managed during my interviews with Hitler to get a word in edge-ways.
It was a curious observation, suggesting, as it did, that he him- self never had. That, however, was not my experience. He may not have heeded what I said, and
he may, like Ribbentrop, only have been thinking what he him- Bell was going to say next, but he always seemed ready to listen, nor did he speechify to any un- endurable extent.
I once myself made him a little speech which lasted for five or ten minutes. His reply Insted three times as long, and there- after, for obvious reasons, I avolded making specèkes myself.
If I thought his own getting too long and that he was becoming carried away by his own oratory, I interrupted him, nor did he over acom to be offend ed by my so doing.
that
My Impression was
throughout he remained with Distrusted the emotional outbursts were
his right arm stretched out at the Neal saluto.
I asked him afterwards how he managed to do it. Hia reply was "Will power"-and I won- dere how much of it was arti- ficially cultivated. He was such administrator as la Signor
no
diplomats
It will always be a matter of regret to me that I was never able- to study Hitler in privata lifa, ns this might have given me the
wore
hin not spontaneous, but that he do liberately worked himself up into a state of excitement. But it may have become second nature with him, after all the impassioned orations which he had, had to make during the years of his struggle for power. Or he may
Re
was always urging his fellow- countrymen to forget their in- feriority complex, but he was sub- Jeet
to it himself. Both on this account and because of his demago- gue's nature he must always have applause. If it was not the crowd's, It must be that of the coterie of his intimate friends, and particularly his old street-aghters of the Brown House at Munich.
At the same time his tastes were excessively simple. He was a bad
Berlin- aleeper, especially at which was one reason why he spent os little time as possible in the capital. He got up late and dig liked working till after luncheon, but he would also go to bed late, and would sit up talking till ali hours of the night.
He liked to relax after dinner In the company of pretly
and ornamental young · women.
Beautiful Beenery appealed to him in the same way, and his де real home was the Berghof Berchtesgaden, on the top of a mountain, with magnificent view looking
to Salzburg and the lovely scenery of him native Austria,
D over
He kept no particular state there, and on the two occasions on which I visited him at Berchtesgaden there was little evidence of any excessive cautions for his safety.
Yet he was very strictly guarded, and the necessity for his protection was one of the holds which Himmlar, as head of his secret. polico, kid over him.
The path of him was, however, made easy for an ambassador, who might be assumed not to have a revolver or a bomb concealed up- on his person.
to the North Pole
I was particularly impressed
Lby Field-Marshal von Blomberg. A man of 58, fall.and soldierly and good looking, he was typical of the old German army, and no better selection could have been made for the task of representing Germany at the Coronation.
He was a fervent admirer of Hitler, whose praises he was never tired of singing.
He once said to me that I Hitler were in order him and his army to march the next day to the North Pole, they would do It without a moment's hesitation. It was related that liitler had a similar affection for the Field- afarshal..and had more than once stated that If Blomberg deserted him he would throw himself from the window.
In the end Blomberg, if not deserting him, did act contrary to his wishes. Whereupon it was not Hitler who threw himself from the window, but Blomberg who was thrown on to the rubbish-heap. But that was to come some ten
at the time months inter, and Blomberg was perhaps iter's closest friend and adviser,
Poor Blomberg He waS Arst German whom I entertained at His Majesty's Embassy, and he was one of the first to invite me to his house.
نافات
the
be
It was a man's party, and with the exception of Neurath and my- Feli all the others were soldiers or almen. The regime might Nazi, but the senior commanders of the
and air force were navy, army officers of the
the last
often war, and I wondered what they felt about their
political leaders.
Goering was also at that dinner, and I recall that when he, Blom- berg, and Naurah were talking to me after it, one of them asked mo what I did when anyone gave the Nazi malute or said "Hell Hitler" to
ine.
For once I happened to be quick on the uptake. "I bring," I replied, "my right hand, with fingers closed and palm to the front, to a position one inch above the right eyebrow, click heels and say 'ulo
my Britannia!"
They all laughed, but.. ng a matter of fact, nobody except an occasional cloakroom attendant art Miles Unity Milford over did greet me with "Tell Hilder." And when Miss Mitford did it, In the middle of a big crowd at Nuremberg, I was so surprised and dumbfounded that I forgot "Rule Britannia" and said nothing at all.
Monday, APRIL 22, 1940,
RADIO
|ZBW, 355 metres (845 k,c.) ans 3149 metres (9,520 kiló-cycles)
BANKS
·THE CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA. & CHINA.
Incorporated by Royal Charter 2533.
Bizet's Symphony No. 1 P-up Capital * Proprietors £3,000,000
In C, Major
Radio Programme Broadcast by ZBW on Frequency of 845 k.c's. and on Short Wave from 1-2.15 p.m.) and 8-11 p.m. on 9.52 m.c's. per second.
H. K. T
Reserve ability of Reserve Fund -
£3,000,000
HEAD_OFFICE:-LONDON, "38" Bishopsgate, 8.0.1. Mid-Agencies in Londoni 117/122, Leadenhall Strech, 103, West End Branchi 14/16, Cockapur: Strest, BAWL. Manchester Branchi
52, Mosley Street, Manchester, 1.
AGENCIES AND BRANCHES:
12.15 p.m. Short Service of Inter Alor Star cession.
Amritsar Bangkok
13.80 Henry Jacques and IIa Cor-Bombay rect Dance Tempo Orchestra with Calcutta Leslie Hutchinson.
12.62 The Columbia. Vocal Gem Company in Drinking Songs.
1.0 Local Time Signal and ther Report.
Harbin
Hongkong
Rangoon
Bagon
Ipoti lotto
Semarang
Seremban
Karach!
Shanghai
Klang
Singapore
Agencies:
Kobo
Bilawan
Cilve Street Fairlie 'lace
Kunla
Bourabay
Lumpur
Taiping
Canton
Cawnpore Cobu
Kuching Mindra Manila
Tionlain
Tongkah
(Bhukat)
Moden
Taingto
Delhi Haiphong
Now York Pelping
Yokohama
Woa-Colombo
(Pekina) Penang
FOREIGN EXCHANGE and General
1.03 Füm Selections From Rise famburg and Shine, Stars Over Broad-Hankow way, Everybody Sing, Gulliver's banking Business transacted. Travels and Swing Time.
CURRENT ACCOUNTS opened and FIXED DEPOSITS received for One Your Press, or shorter periods in Local or Other Cus
1.30 Reiter and Rugby Weather Forecast and Announce-rencies at rates which will be quoted on
ments.
1.45 Latest Variety.
2.15 Close down.
6.0 "For the Children." 0.30 Closing local Stock Quota- tlons.
G32 Dket-Symphony No. 1 lp C Major,
London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Walter Gochr.
7.0 Stullo-Talk ОП "Nijinsky, the Genius of the Hussian Ballet." Illustrated by records.
7.30 Londen Relay The News, 8.0 Local Time Signal, Weather
Report and Anipuncements.
application.
BAVINGS ACCOUNTS also opened in Local Currency and Sterling with interest allowed at rales obtainable on application. The Blank' Head Office in London undertakes Executor & Trustee busiSOON. ond claims, recovery of British Incoma Tax overpaid, on "terms which many be ascertained at any of its Agencies and Branches.
B. A. CAMIDGE,
Manager.
CURFEW IN LUCKNOW
Lucknow, Apr. 21. Curfew has been enforced and Pollee pro patrolling the streets,
following intermittent clashes
be-
0.03 This week's programmes. tween two sects of Moslems in which 8.07 An hour of Dance Music and three were killed and 22 injured.--- Variety.
Reuter. 9.15
London Relay-News Bum-
9.30 London Relay-Under Nasl Rule"
A Bicetch.
10.17 Al Bollington at the Organ. 10,80 Dance Musto by Roy Fox
11.0 Close down.
9.45 The Regimental Hand of HIL Coldstream Guards.
10.03 B.B.C. Recording "The and Fils Orchestra, Ogboddy's Oxling,”
SPARK
CHAMPION PLUGS
Bring BETTER* HILL CLIMBING
Good hot sparks from Champion spark plugs will give your car the
kind of ignition it needs for a. smooth, even pull up a hill. Champions allaw less carbon to form, so you get moro speed, moro power, more economy. Champions save you money!
Champion Spark Pisi
Ohio, V.Suk
Crossword Puzzle
ACEONS
Steensen By LANS MORRIS
1-Address to lord's-
wils
T-Form 61 bandage * 12-ocial Clique i-swathears
14-That thing ja-şirire for inperiority
10- NOR DANY 17-Indo-Chinese language
18 Jumped hexdürst 20-OrEx of bird 21-MADE
22-All Time 21-Cherished creature 24-Main point
color
Jantert into lester
27-Itersteen 26-freland
30-Not straight 31–Ecchaitzi cal hendgear 13-Pressed together
substance
17-Boela insects Ja-mall apeck 30-FUTIACE covering 40-50 by marriage 42-Worthy of veneration 43-Toward
42--Brez
44-870s (Beattiahi
45-That ma
47-Put into eval
28 29
51
32
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLI
49-Olonter B1-Itamins $-LINT inisation
DOWN
1-redominant iden
-Impersonal progain 3-Long ber sand for
kirting
મ
5
મ
116
4-Dry
Ceas to live
-Killed
J- You
B-Par down
- have contractions 10-Most moral
11-Denster
12-Drink made from
apples
16-Burt
19-mati kval vessel, 20-Cry at mengal
21-Error
76-Ghosting match
. (Princb)
27-Wan ahead of 26-Trest with can-
alderation
20-lying mammai 11-Gubdua
37-Uttar in maualcał
monstoor
11-Congered
23--3loped
3-Come in Sk-River in Pracce 37-Render barmicas <i-Adjusta
43--Kitap around pulleys
45-Valuable matni
-Therefore
s-hiver in Oblas
80-Predzi nos
18
19
124
za
i
130
133
34
126
20
139
42
146
10
$3
머니
47
48
149.
51
50