1940-04-26 — Page 14

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PAGE 4.-HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

Sir Nevile Henderson

INSTALMENT 5

ON January 12, 1938, the German Press announced that Field Marshal von Blomberg had been married on the previous day

to a certain Fraulein Eva Gruhn, with Adolf Hitler and General Goering as sole witnesses of the ceremony.

I had been dining the night before at the Ministry.of Pro- paganda, and our host, Herr ̈* Funk-then Under-Secretary of that Ministry, and to-day Minister for Economics and President of the Reichsbank- -had announced the fact at the end of dinner to some sixty gucats, including many Cabinet Ministers, military officers, and Nazi officials.

All learnt the news with amazo- ment, and everyone at once asked who Fraulein Gruhn was without finding anyone to answer.

Speculation continued to centre In that question until it gradually became public property that she was inscribed on Himmler's police records as an attractive lady, but of the lighter virtues.

I have never felt quite certain'

in my own mind that this news was not a cnlculated plot on the part of that scheming chief of the Gestapo.

Ile must, at least, have known what was going on, even if Ultier and Goering did not, and it was furthermore very much in s personal Interests, and those of tho extremists, to eliminate Blomberg.

In any case, the shock of this disclosure to Hitler's personal feel- logs and public prestige was im- mense. Not only was Blomberg one of his most trusted advisers, but also one of his most intimate and possibly most beloved friends.

And this best friend had de- ceived him! On discovering the truth, Hitler's first step was to endeavour to persuade the Marshal

to allow the marriage to be dissolved, on the

that he ground

hnd

been inveigled into it under false pretenees,

Blomberg's refusal to this course

agree

to

shook Hitler's faith in

YESTERDAY. Sir Nevile-Britain's pre- war Ambassador in Berlin-told you how in spite of Anglo-German "friendship talks" some sort of violent action by the Nazis seemed inevit able, and how he finally sent to the British Govern- ment a secret warning of Germany's store of arms, TO-DAY he tells you how European history was reshaped by a...

Field Marshal and Frau Blomberg in Singapore on their

honeymoon

MARRIAGE

that caused a

wall facing the window. On my left on a small stool was Dr. Schmidt taking notes.

On his left again, in a semi- clrcle, Hitler himself in an arm- chair, and next to him and facing me, Herr von Ribbentrop.

I began with a statement of my object in asking to see the Chan- cellor. It was, not, I said, to sug- gest a bargain (Kuh-handel or "cow-deal"), in accusation which the German Press always made against us when we suggested any- thing, but to create a basis for friendship.

H.M. Government, I said, did not underestimate the difficulties to be overcome, but were convinced that

HITLER BRAINSTORM

the loyally of his followers both to himself and to Germany. But worse was to follow.

Bomberg had probably never, as s too a pritical Marshal an subservient to the Nazi civillans. been very popular with the Army chlets.

General-who-

dared criticise

Incidentally, he was equally. un- popular with the Nazi extremists as not being one of themselves and interference in military matters.

Without waiting for Hitler to find his own way out of the impasse, General the Commander-in-chief.

von Pritsch, supported by other Generals, notified the Fuelirer that Army discipline could not tolerate the retention of Blomberg, married to a indy with such a past, in his post as Minister for War.

If there is one thing which a rlictator dislikes, it is being die- tated to. Partly out of repugnance to having his hand force and. partly out of loyalty to his old friend, he demurred at Orst to Blomberg's removal.

more

Whereupon General von Fritsch took occasion not only to insist on the point of military diselpline, but also severely to criticise the Fuehrer's foreign polley, particularly as regards Austria.

This was going farther than As Field- Hiller would tolerate. Marshal Goering sald to me

month or so later:-

"What would Afr. Chamberlain have done if your CJ.G.S. had come to him and said, 'Quite apart

from Army matters, entirely disapprove of your foreign

course later.

of events a few months

It has been necessary to lay great stress on the incident of the Blomberg marriage. Both morally and materially, its consequences were of the utmost importance.

Not only did it-as mentioned above-cause Hitler 111s first "brainstorm ̃of the year, but there is good reason to believe that it radically altered his entire out- look on life.

Thenceforward he became less human, and his Ots of rage, real or simulated, more frequent.

His faith in the, fidelity of his followers was gravely shuken, leid

quently, more chance of exercising his influence on, the Fuehrer than any other German Minister.

In September, 1938, as well as in

und Jubbentrop August, 1939. Himunter were, in my opinion, his principal Beutenants in the war party of which Hitler

was the

leader.

on a

Finally-there-is-no doubt that. the Blomberg incident, and the necessity which it imposed dictator to obliterate its memory by some striking external success, accelerated the tempo of what may be described as Act I of the drama "Austria."

his inaccessibility became greatly Premier's third

accentuated.

Murcover, the all-Important up- shot of the incitient was to remove from Hitler's entourage two of his most moderate and respectable advisers. filomberg himself and Baron von Neurath.

The replacement of Neurutit by Ribbentrop was a major disaster,

I would like to make. It quite clear that I have no personal quarrel with Herr von Ribbentrop. whose original intentions may have been admirable.

But from the beginning I felt that his vanity, his resentments and Iris misconceptions of Eng- Iand and English mentality were a serious bar to any prospect of a better understanding between the two countries; and at the end I realised that, as for as lay in his power, no one had done toare than he did to precipiate the

war.

Ribbentrop-

polley? Ste would have said. "vain and stupid'

"Thank you, good-day, and dis- missed him as Hitler did General von Fritaci

That was, in fact, what hap- pened. Fritsch left and Blomberg ulso.

The only question for Hitler then was how to effect these two main ⚫ changes

with profit, or at least without loss of face to himself.

In the end, three weeks later on February 4, and after the first of Hitler's temperamental fits of un- controlled rage that year these two removnis wero

announced under a vast camouflage of other changes and retirements, not only In the Army but also in the Navy, Air Force and Diplomatic Service,

Except, however, in the field of diplomacy, little mattered except the removal of Blomberg and Frlich, inasmuch as at least 00 per cent. of the changes would have taken place in the normal

Speaking to Goering and to others before Munich, I had re- minded them that. If one man had been more responsible than any- one else for the war which began in August, 1914, it was Count Berchtold the Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs.

I had known him in St. Peters- burg when he was Austrian Am- bassador there.

He was a great Austrian noble- man, but, like Ribbentrop, he was a combination of vanity, stupidity and superficiality. And I warned my listeners that if Ribbentrop was day not checked, he would one

Count lead Germany to run as Berchtold had led Austrla.

Unfortunately, foreign politics were Hitler's main preoccupation, and in his position as Foreign Minister, Ribbentrop had more constant access to, and, consc-

peace

effort

Between, however, the prelude and the first net, there was an in- terlude, in the course of which Mr. Chamberlain made his third effort In eight months to initiate with Hitler discussions which might tead to serious negotiations, and so to the seltlement by pacific methods of all outstanding prob- lems, which was the settled policy of Mr. Chamberlain's Government vis-a-vis Germany.

That was, too, from beginning to end, the underlying purpose of my mission to Berlin,

I was recalled to London at the end of January, 1930, and given instructions to seek in an interview with Hitler and to discuss the pos- sibilities of a general settlement.

. I returned to Berlin on February 4, but in view of the unsettled at-

caused by the IC mosphere

D the organisation following Blomberg marriage incident, my actual nudlence with Hitler was deferred unul March 3.

By that time Mr. Eden had left the Government, and 'Lord Halifax had succeeded him as Foreign Secretary.

seemed

Unfortunately--and it fated that it should always be so for my meetings with Itler-the an ill-chosen one. moment was The Austrian kettle was, boiling hard and on the point of bolling over. Hitler was consequently in a vide temper, and made no effort to conceal it.

I was received in the old Nelcha- chancery, and was asiced to sit down on a big sofa against the

they could be overcome if both parties contri- buted en a basis of re- ciprocity, and on the principle

higher

renson na istinct from the use of mere force.

to

H. M. Government admitted that changes were possible, but only it effected on the basis of higher reason: they had dis- cussed what appeared

be the muin questions between us, such.

and as a limitation of armaments 110 restriction

bombing-lo of which H.M. Government would add the abolition of bombing nero- planes as well as a porceful solu- ilon of the Czech

and Austrian problems, and the Colonial ques- tion.

What contribution, for her part was Germany, I asked, ready to make towards general security and peace in Europe?

was perhaps the longest con- tinuous statement which I ever made to Hitler, and must have lasted for the best part of ten minutes.

During all that time he re- mained crouching in his atm- chair and wearing a most fera- clous scowl, which my firm, but at the same time conciliatory, remarks scarcely warranted.

He listened. nevertheless, 101 I had finished and then let himself

"Nothing, he said, could be done until the Press campaign against him in England eeased. (He never censed harping on this subject in every conversation which I ever had with him.)

Nor was he going to tolerate the Interference of third parties In Central Europe. Injustice was being done millions of Germans, and self-determination and demo- cratic rights must be applied to Germans as well as others.

U.S.S.R. pact quite worthless

were

Only 15 per cent, of the Austrian population supported the Schusch- 'nigg regime: It Germans

oppressed there he must and would intervene, and if he did intervene,

31. he would act like lightning.

Austria must be allowed to vote, und in Czecho-Slovakia the Ger mans must have autonomy in cul- tural and other matters.

After haranguing me for half an he turned to the question of hour. disarmament and referred to the. threat to Germany of the Franco- and of Czecho- Soviet Fact Slovakia's accession thereto.

It was, he said, for that reason that Germany had to be so heavily armed, and any limitation of arma- ments depended therefore on the U.S.S.R.

The problem was, he continued, rendered particularly difficult

"by the fact that one could place as much confidence in the faith in treaties of a barbarous crea- fare like the Soviet Union as in The comprehension of mathema- tical formulo by a vago.

"Any agreement with the U.S.B.R. wan qalte worthless and Rumia should never have been allowed into Europe.”

It was impossible, le added, to

"SHE was in-.

scribed on Himmler's police records... Hitler became less human, his fits of rage more frequent."

have for instance any faith in any Soviet undertaking not to use poison gas.

The sentence in inverted com- mas are Hitler's actual words as recorded in the written and care- fully edited notes, made:and given to me at the time by Dr. Schmidt,

In fact the whole of this account

BA

of the interview is summarised

that from

written record, approved by Hitler himself and communicated to me by Herr von Ribbentrop.

I have transcribed it at some length, because Hitler's remarks on this occasion constitute interesting evidence. taken down and to be used against him, of the Hiler technique.

As for colomies he did not seem the least interested in them, and the sum of his reply was that the colonial problem could wait for four, six, eight or even ten years.

He promised, however, to give me a wrliten reply on the subject. and I left Berlin a year and a half Jater without having ever received

It.

My onslaught

on

Ribbentrop

By the end of the interview, the scow on Hitler's face had disap- peared, and on one occasion he had even smiled.

It was when Ribbentrop Inter- vened with some remark about the British Press, which ellelted from me the retort that it seemed to me amazing that any man who had lived in Canada and been Am- bassador in London, should be so

ignorant of profoundly

British mentality and habits.

Hller seemed to appreciate my his onslaught on

Minister for Foreign Affairs whose ascendancy over him was at that time far from being what it subsequently became. iL Copyright. Reproduction whole or in part strictly pro- hibited.j

TO-MORROW: The tense drama that lay behind the invasion of Austria-Why Britain did not intervene

- Goering's private note offering to "explain every thing,"

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