PAGE 4.-HONGKONG
Sir Nevile Henderson described in Satur- day's instalment how he was withdrawn from his post as British Ambassa- dor in Berlin after Hitler's invasion of Czecho-Slova. kia.
He was in London when the quarrel between Gor- many and Poland OVOT Danzig began to grave proportions.
assume
Then Britain, by д- nouncing her pact of mu- tual assistance with Po- land, plainly told the Nazis that further, aggression in Europe would be met by force. Negotiations were begun for a pact with Rus- sia-and Hitler began to shout about "encircle- ment."
Sir Nevile returned to Berlin on April 25, 1939, to notify the German Govern- ment that
conscription
was being introduced in Britain.
S in 1938, so once again
1939, the
An
Hummer
months were spent in fruitless
negotiation.
Moscow, had now become the centre of the singe, and His Majesty's Government, and the French Government Hought sincerely but in vain to persuade the Russian Govern- ment. definitely to assume the same obligations towards Po- land as we ourselves hud un- dertaken.
As soon
£19 one alleged
obstacle to Russian co-opera- tion was overcome, Stalin pro- duced another with unfailing regularity.
Nor did we sume period constantly using our with a good offees at Warsaw, view to the avoidance of the kind uf incident which Hitler wos so aktiful in turning to his own pur-
cense during the
poses,
My warnings to the Nazis
For my part in terlin I was
giving. preaching patience and solemn warnings to all and sun- dry.
My main and, indeed, almost sole object was to convince de Germans that any further set of aggression by them would mean war with Britain.
I re-
was at the end of May, for instance, that I
I had my convers tion with Goering, which ported at the time and which con- stiluted one of the documents included in the Blue. Book Isatted by His Majesty's Government an the outbreak of war.
I made
nulte clear to the "Field" Maralal thal, while nobody de- sfred more than we did an omica- ble arrangement between Germany and Poland in respect of Danzig and the Corridor, we were deter- mined to oppose in future force .by force.
Though Ribbentrop was at that time making great play with his own special brand of propaganda. to the effect that Britain woukl never fight over Danzht, the Field Marshal himself did not, on that occasion,
appear to doubt that such was our fixed resolve.
It was, throughout the summer, quite us
uscless
to argue about the equal rights of the Poles to Le- bensraum and economic existence, and in the end I gave up trying to do so and concentrated on the in- evitable consequences of aggres- sive action.
Hitler knows
how to
wait
The invariable rotort of every Germun
that Britain had given a blank cheque to the Poles
Was
or had placed her sword in their hands,
My conversation with Goering led consequently nowhere in par- ticular-as I fear, the fate of
was, all my conversations, however stimulating, with him.
may have been
But, whatever
In Hitler's mind, war did not ap- pear at that time to be either the desire or an inimedalle
preoccupa
tion of Goering.
.
TELEGRAPH
Monday, MAY 6, 1940.
Why Ribbentrop CONSTIPATION
WANTED WAR
Sir Nevile Henderson
INSTALMENT 13
Frau von Ribbentrop, shown above wearing her best jewels, is heiress to a champagne fortune. Hitler escorted her in the grand march at an“Axis" party she tendered Italy's Count Ciano at her 30-room Dahlem home,
That was why, when he rend out the names of Mercy and Purity, etc,, I took the opportunity to observe that I fulled to see Pa- tience among them.
Goering who ever missed a point, roared with laughter at the innuendo.
During the next four months Mie chief impression which I had of Hitler was that of a master chess player studying the board and waiting for his opponents to make some false move which
The
already atmosphere Was strained, and I remember feeling rather sorry for my Polish col- league, who was also present.
Yet everybody was friendly and Courteous
appeared honestly
glad to see one.
Germans didn't
hate Britain
self wanted was to start serious discussions, with England.
I went to London for a few days In connection with private business at the beginning of July, and warned His Majesty's Government that the clouds were gathering.
By this time, the Russian nego- tiations had ceased to have for me, even the superflelal appear- ance of any reality, and I still be- Heve that from the outset Moscow never meant them to terminate in agreement with us.
Riddle of
Russian pact
it
at which
Hitler
The moment began his own negotiations with Stalin must remain for the time, being a nutter for conjecture, but can scarcely have been coinci-
that deuen
in Hitler's speech of April 28 his usual hostile refer- ences to the U.S.S.R. were con- spicuous by their absence.
On
May 3,
3, Litvinov, the Russian protagonist of the League of Na- tions, was relieved of his post as Commissor for Foreign Affairs. A few weeks later
a new Soviet Ambassador to Germany was re- ecived with marks of quite un- usual courtesy
to
I decided, at the end of July, seck for myself the opportunity of a personal meeting with Hitler. He was at Bayreuth at the *time, at- trudlog
the Wagner festival. Though absolutely unmusical, ! lke Wagner. I had twice attended the whole of the Ring in Berlin. and I used this as an excuse to pay a visit to Bayreuth on July 2D.
So far as my real objective was concerned it
complete failure. I had cor trouble on the way down,utid when I got there I found that Hitler was away in- specting the Siegfried Line, accom- panied by Ribbentrop; an ominous combination.
He
was
got buck on the last after- noon of my visit, but I only saw him at a distance in the Opera House.
Even so, if he hind wanted to. Hller could have speak to me,
done so, for he must have been informed that I was there,
But contact with the British Ambassador was not part of the rame for him.
Looking back on it all, one can 66 War-at-
-could-be-turned-to-his-own-im-only lie Impressed by the tragedy
in
mediate advantage.
So long as Russia's fim) atti- lude remained unpredictable, he himself would not move.
In any case, his army would not be finally ready for all eventual- ties until the end of August. That,
spile
of all the secrecy of its preparations, was fairly evident.
When it was announced that the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Tammenberg victory was to be held there on August 27, and that it would coinelde with the visit of n German warship to Danzig, it dki nt need much prescience for me to abandon my rooted aversion to the popular habit of fixing dates for crises.
I wrote to Lord Halifax carly in July, and foretold that the last week of August was likely to be zero hour.
We had renched the last net of the drama, and the curtain for it had gone up on that momentous March 31 when Mr. Chamberlain announced in the House of Com- Ons our agreement with Poland. Both parties were now sparring for position.
Red light for Poland
We
at sought Moscow and Ankara to build up a pecae front against aggression, while the Ger- mans were working at Moscow, in the Baltic States and in the Bal kars to make gops in that front.
Both were to win successes and 'to suffer defeats,
It was on that occasion he showed me with pride the coloured 'skotclics of the tapestries which he
But in the meantime there was proposed to hang in his now. a full, which was likely to last for dining-room at Kafinhull. ́ ́ · · several months, and I reported to
I described them my official
that affect ot the beginning of despatch as drawings・ of "naked ladies," but I am glad to have this opportunity of saying that I did so. in no disrespectful or suggestive Apirit.
Had I anticipated that my deas patch would ever be publähed, 1 should certainly havo written of the *nude figures" in pince cruder expression wiilch I actually used.
drawings were in fact very artistic, and I should not have. referred to them at all if it had. not been to point the argument of patience, which had been the gist of all my talk with Goering that morning.
These
+.
May.
and futility of the present war, There was no hostility to England among the mass of the people in Germany.
Goebbels frenzied propaganda the beginning of the may, since war. have been successful in working Germans up to late. Ger- man youth is being, and has for some years past, been educated up to hale us.
Nuzi extremists, full of the mystical faith which seeks to in- pose German leadership on a world of German vassals, will always hate the chief barrier to the fulfilment of their overweening ambitions.
Resentment against the English, who nicknamed him. Brickend- drop, may Inspire Ribbentrop's hatred, and the "fury of the wo- fan the pas- man scorned"
may slons of Hitler himself.
But the German people had no natural haired of the Britial, and it is the saddest thing in the world that the two should fight.
Personally, up to the last, I that I was never felt anywhere other than welcome.
I attended two large parties ht the end of that month; one was given by Funk, who, after having succeeded Schacht as Minister for had later replaced him Economies,
President of the Reichsbank, and the other by Lutze, who was the chief of the S.A. or brown- shirts.
DS
who was anyone in Everyone Nazi circles, with the notable ex- ception of the Ribbentrops and Himmlers, were present at these parties.
For me, they were not so much social entertainments as opportu nities to exchange views with all who were ready to listen and to talit,
I did my utmost in these numer- enlist the ous conversations to support of those most closely in touch with Hitler, with a view to inducing him to make some ges- ture which would open the door, If it were only an inch or so, to a response on Mr. Chamberlain's part.
In the last days of that month I urgently represented to the Polish Ambassador the desirability of resuming conversations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but his answer was that he could do nothing till the German Govern- inent had given some evidence of. its goodwill and readiness to talk. On June 25 I motored to Ham- burg to attend the locul Derby and
visit
Dart. some old friends of mine. At it
Polish horse happened, a was expected by many to be going to win the race, but he finished down the course, to the keen satia- faction of all loyal Germans.
to
But our negotiation with Ray- min, ns long as they continued, were, represented to me aa AZE Insuperablo obstacle to any con- cillatory Inillative on Hitler'
Alas, it was all talk; for it was not the Lutzes and the Funks, or even the Breuschiizes and Lam- mere, who decided polley.
The last thing which Hitler him-
any
price!"
would fall to honour her obliga- tions,
There is no shadow of
doubt
that he was all the time saying so, to Hitler and to everyone. But that he believed himself what he sald seems to me incredible,
Egging on the Fuehrer
12
By 1030 tler had become so great in his own esteem that he
10 discribe could afford
his Foreign Minister as the second to Bismarck. He often sald so others, and no one was surer that was so than Ribbentrop him- self.
But the warld had yet to be per sunded that it was so, and for this a war was necessary.
To ensure war any means were legitimate. It he could persuade Hitler, who possibly needed little persuading, to go to extremes by representing England as afraid of war, all the better.
[Copyright in all countries. Re- production in rojible or in part strictly prohibited.]
TO-MORROW:
Hitler's jubilation over the Russo-German Pact- and my blunt retort. My messages to the Cabinet. Chamberlain's personal letter to Hitler. Why the war was postponed for a week.
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1. A. CAMIDGE,
There were three parties In Germany at this time. One, for from Hiller's entourage removed and representing the mass of the people, was all for peace and stil hopeful that Hitler's wizardry would enable him to achieve his Vol. X No. 1 aims without war.
A second was equally all for war at any price. It was con- fident in the might of Germany's Army and Air Force and in her invulnerability to attack from
the west.
It was the party. in closest louch with Hitler, und was constantly pressing him to go ahead, regard- less of the consequences, and argu- ing that in any en
caso Britain either
Oght,
Britain's
military
which
that
would not or could not
There was a third
party, appeared really to belleve
preparations under- were being deliberately taken with a view to a preventive war: and which
consequently argued that war in 1930 was bet- ter for Germany than war in 1040 or later.
I was repeatedly told by those In closest touch with him that Hit- ler himself professed to share this view,
Was
The war atmosphère was spread- Ing apace: France was now mo-
country bilising, and the united behind M. Daladier.
Britain was also girding up her lolns,
and in the middle of July extra fleet exercises had been an- nounced, extra ships were placed commission and some naval re- servists were called up.
In
The underlying idea was to con- vince Hiller of our readiness for
It apparently failed to convince Ribbentrop, who to the last con- tinued to assert that England would never fight,
I say "apparently" with laten- tion, since I am still unable to credit
with Ribbentrop even
foolish as being so obrtinately seriously to believe that England
These extracts are taken from the book of Sir Nevila Henderson entitled "Failure of a Mission," published by Mezara. Hodder & Stoughton, Lid,
THE
Manager.
January, 1940
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ZBW, 355 metres (845 k.c.) ana 31.49 metres (9,520 kilo-cycles) Mozart Symphony No. 29
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Radio Programme Broadcast by ZBW on a Frequency of 845 k.c's. and on Short Wave from 1-2.15 p.m. and 8-11 p.rn. on 9.52 m.c's. per second.
12.16 p.m. Short Service of Inter- cession.
12.30. Mozart - Symphony No. 29 In A Majer.
Sir Thoming Beecham conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. 12.55. A Mozart Song sung by Ivar Andresen (Bass).
The “Telegraph”
50 YEARS AGO
May 6, 189o. Queen Victoria owns a block of hoaret in New York,
+
A black snake four feet long was killed in the gutter outside the Masonic Club. about durk Inst evening.
For the first time' In' the history of
เล steam shipping in China the Austrian flag represented on the Yangisze. The Brist steainer Anchin Maru, which for
the past three months has been running on the Yangtze, changed her Ring inst week and hoisted the Austrlen Ing. Sho will after undergoing an overbauling, And ✪ Isis and Osiris (from The Magle probably some alterations, trade on the Flute).... with Orchestral accom-flyer between lankow and Shanghai. paniment.
1.00. Local Time Signal and Wea- ther Report.
1.03. Hildegarde (Vocal) and The Slx Swingers,
1.30. Reuter and Rugby Press, Weather Forecast and Announce- inen19.
1.45. Latest Varicly. .1.45.
2.16. Close down.
G.00. "For the Children.” 8.32. Harry Roy and His Orchesira in Dance Music.
7.00. Musical Comedy Selections, 7.30, London Relay The News, 8.00. Lecal Time Signal, Weather Report and Announcements.
8.03. The Regimental Band of HAI. Grenadier Guards with Peter Daw- son (Bass-Baritone).
6.33 Variety with Gracle Fields, Billy Mayert, Sandy Powell & Oilers, 9.15 London Helay-News Sum mary.
25 YEARS AGO
uning
They Jak in the
May 6, 1015. Fleid Marshal Sir John Freneli 1 trayed repart on the Germans poisonous gases in which he says: trenches and also by manufactured. German allocking troops had specially designed respirators, and tists all posals to a long methodeal pre- The report paration on a large scale. emphasises that a week before Germany used the method, a Berlin communique announced that the British were using Asphyxiating gases-then there appeared no reason for this astounding falsehood, but now it is obvious that that was part of a scheme, and shows the Germans" re- were anxious to forestall neutral and criticism. Morcaver ponsible domestic xince the method was first used, the enemy adopted it both for offence and defence whenever the wind was favour- able. The effect was not merely that of disablint, or even painlessly fatal as sug fented by the German press, but the victims suffer acutely and a large: pro- portion dle a painful lingering death. It appears that those surviving are per
have been ejected from bells specially
cognised the Biegailty of the method and
0.30 London Relay "Under Nazi manently injured in the lungs and will Rule."
possibly be invalids for life. These_effects must be well known to the German 9.45 Excerpts from Gilbert & Sulli-scientists who devised the method, and
van.
10.15 A Dance Programme.
11.0 Close down.
MALAYA UNDER NAZIS' RULE
"
(Continued from Page 6)
uf non-Aryan
sub-
coopounded their
ulso to the military who sanctioned its uxe. "I am of opinion the enemy has definitely decided to use these gases ar a normal procedure and that protests will he useless."
*
•
❤ The Italian Ambassador had a prolonged conference with Sir Edward Grey.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr. LEO of potonous gases was a
Asquith said that Goach of the
ague Convention and had been clearly committed with deliberate purpose after careful preparation. Ife emphasised that tine would be better spent in counteract. ing such actions than by making repre- sentationis.
•
Reiter's correspondent at Copenhagen reports that the King of Sweden, at
(the noblest part of his equip- ment). He has not read the Vedas, the Mahabharata, or the Confucian Analects. He would scorn to do so if he could-To-him-they-n
-are-the-Gothenburg-made-a-sperck-in-which-he- scribblings
beneath men,
Since the Nuzis revolting doctrine of world do- mination the little spots on the German morol
coral leopard have grown to the size of dinner plates. Woc betkie Malaya if ever it were in the position of Poland and Czecho- Slovakia under the Nazi heel.
To most of us this is almost too obvious for meation but you were to get hold of one of those little leaflets, cyclostyled on wrap- ptor paper
in pale ink that has blotted and run, in the hundwrit- have failed to pass who have ing of boya their junior iniddle school,
you would receive the impression that British imperialism is a dreadful thing than which nothing could be worse. I am not concerned to de- fend British, imperialism or to prove that it is the most
most enlighten- ed system of government that the human mind could conceive. You
Ilve under it and car
can judge for yourselves. But one
thing i I can say, If anyone
would willingly substitute for it the Imperialiam of the only proper Nazi Germany place for him is the padded
Well I have finished with nightmare. The Swastika is 8,000 long miles away over seas guarded by the British Navy or over land defended by the Allled forces and by the good senso and decency of the Asiatic peoples.
my
STOCK MARKET
REPORT
Hongkong Stock Exchange Official Summary issued on Saturday says:
A quiet morning, though there was some "chicken feed" produced in the form of Investment business.
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sald the danger of Sweden being invived in the war was as grent ax before. Ile em- phasised that it wns Sweden's India- pensable duty to observe strict neutrality. and he exhoried all to do nothing to aggravate the country's position and sold he was confident in case of necessity the whole nation would be untied in defend- In the country and liberty.
*
•
In ve years ago to-day since King George mitcceeded to the throne. When King Edward diled, the nation felt that 11 had to take his son more or less on trust. King Edward was known; was the most popular prince, and one of the most popular men, in the world; but of King George at that his subjects know wan that he was a naval officer, and a man [of somewhat retiring dispealiion--who might or might not worthily wear the Frown that he had inherited from the Saxon kings by his father's side and from Comuto by his mother's. Everything was rpeculation. The country's relations with forelan Powers were apparently good, but the Empire itself was not by” any ingans at its most pençenbin, There was disaffections in some parts, minor political unrest in others, while at Home every other man was at his neighbour's throat |øver Mr. Lloyd George's notorious Budget, the worries connected will which had helped to shorten the days of King Ed- ward. It was little wonder, then that the world watched with lively curiosity the actions of the new King Emperor,
BEN 10 YEARS AGO
May 6, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the civi disobedience movement In India has been arrested at Jalalpur under Regulation Twenty Five of 1077 and will be in- prisoned during the pleasure," of "the Government of India. Vien
At the Roof Garden of the Hongkong Hotel, celebrations took place on Wednes- day, the 30th of April, last, in honour of HRH the Princess Sultana, only child of Her Majesty the Queen of the Nether- lands and the Prince Consort, who ekme of age, on that date.
5 YEARS AGO
KAY D. 1033. With fitting deremonial and pageantry, the Colony of Hongkong to-day loyally and enthusiastically began its celebration af Silver Jubilee Week under conditions giving promise of a most colourful and happy observance of the Empire,
So great la the interest.conteod. In tho' celebrations that there has · been tremendous Influx of visitors from South China, estimates of the number who have come here to see the sights'varying_bg. tween 100,000, and 200.000,
The gizanilo Franchi Uner, Normandie, sailed from St. Nazaire to-day on, her speed trials.
ACCOUNTANTS" DINNER
The Society of Chartered Accnunt- lants in Chinä held their annual, din-
ner at the Shongħal Club with A. II.
in Shanghai, M. Consul-General
as the gudit of honour. In the course of his speech. the Chairman, Mr. H. R. Cleland, gave 'n brief review of the history at the accountancy' and welcomed "guests.