1940-04-26 — Page 4

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 guests, including muny Cabinet Ministers, military officers, and Nazi officials.

All learnt the news with amaze- ment, and everyone al once oaked who Fraulein Gruhn was without Anding anyone to answer.

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

1 have never felt quite certain

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

Ite must, at least, have known what was going on, even if IIller and Goering did not, and it was furthermore very much in his personal interests, and those of extremists, to eliminate the

Blomberg.

In any case, the shock of thin diselosture to Hitler's personal feel- ings and public prestige was im- mense. Not only was Marylan one of his most trusted advisers, I also one of his most intimate and possibly, most beloved friends.

And this best friend hart de- erived blta! On discovering the Truth, Hitler's first step to was to endeavour perstande

Marshal

the

to allow the marriage to be dissolved, on the

that ground

he had

been inveigled into it under labe peelences.

Blomberg's refusal to

agree

this

course

shook ter's faith in

YESTERDAY Sir Nevile-Britain's pre- war Ambassador in Berlin-told you how in sprite 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

On my

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

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

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

KM. Government. I said, clid nol underestimate the difculties to be overcome, but were convinced that

HITLER BRAINSTORM

the loyalty of his followers both to himself and to Gemany, Buil worse was to follow.

Bomberg had probably never, as tou +3 peritical Marshal and 20% subservient to the Nazi civilians, been very popular with the Army chiefs,

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 Ritter to find his own way out of the implent, the Commander-in-chief, General von Fritsch, supported by other Generals, notified the Fuehrer that Army discipline could not tolerate the retention of Blomberg, married to a lady with such a past, in his post as Minister for War.

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

first

10

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

the

This was going farther than Hitler would tolerate. As Fleid- Marshal Goering said to me month or so later:-

"What would Mr. Chamberlain have done if your C.L.G.S. had cone to him and said, 'Quite apart from Army matters, I entirely

of disapprove

vour foreign

course later.

of

events # few months

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

Not only did as mentiuned Mitter his first above-cause brainstorm of the year, but there is good reason to believe-that-it radically allered his entire out- look on life.

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

This faith in the fidelity of his followers was gravely shaken, and

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

WON

war the

In September, 1938, as well as in and 1039. Ribbentrop August, Himmler were, in my opinion, his principal lieutenants in the

of which liter party leader.

Finally, there is no doubt that The Blomberz-incident,—und-the. necessity which it imposed on a dictator obliterate

its memory by some striking external success, acrelerated the tempo of what may be described as Act 1 of the drama "Austria."

his maccessibility became really Premier's

accentuatedi.

- Murcover, the all-important '-

third

shot of the incident was to remove peace effort

From Hitler's entourage two of his respectable. moderate and most advisers. Blomberg himself and Baron von Neurath.

The replacement of Neurath 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 origial intentions may have been admirable.

But from the beginning I felt that his vanity, his resentments and his misconceptions of Eng- land and Engilsh mentality were a serious bar to any prospect of better understanding between

11

the two countries; and at the end I realised that, as far as lay in his power, no one had done more the than he did to precipitate war.

Ribbentrop-

pote'? He would have said. "vain and stupid'

Thank you, good-day, and dis- missed him as fitter did General

von Fritsch,"

hap-

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

Blso.

The only question for Hitler then was how to effect these two main changes with proft, 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 flis of un- theso controlled rage that year

unnounced removals were two under a vast camouflage of other changes and retirements, not only in the Army but also in the Navy, Air Force and Diplomatie Service.

Except, however, in the field of diplomacy, little mattered except the removal of Blomberg und Fritsch, inasmuch as at least DO per cent of the changes would have

normal taken place in the

Speaking to Goering and lo 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, 1014, 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 n combination of vanity, stupidity and superficiality. And I warned my listeners that if Ribbentrop was not checked, ho. would one day. Count leod Germany to ruln Berchtold had led Austria,

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

more

Between. however, the prelude and the first act. 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 lead to serious negotiations, and so to the settlement by pacifie 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, 1030, and given Instructions to seek in an interview with Hitler and to discuss the pos- abilities of a general settlement.

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

following on the organisation Blomberg marriage incident, my actual audience with Hitler was deferred until March-3.

By that time Mr. Eden had lett the Government; and Lord Halifax had succeeded him

ns Foreign Secretary.

опе

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

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

1

they could be overcome

if both parties contrl- buted on a basis of re- ciprocity, and on the of higher principle reason es distinct from the use of mere force.

Government II. M. admitted that changes were possible, but only effected on the basis of higher reason: they

hud cussed what appeared to be the main questions between us, such as a limitation of armnuments and the restriction of bombing-10 which IIM. Government would add the abolition of bombing aero- planes as well as a peaceful solu- Austrian tion of the Czech and problems, and the Colonial ques- tion.

dis-

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

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

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

He Hstened, nevertheless, till had finished and then let himself

20.

Nothing, he said, 'could be done until the Press campaign against him in England ceased. (He never reased harping on this subject in every conversation which I ever hat with him.)

Nor was he going to tolerate the Interference of third parties in Central Europe. Injustice WIS being done to 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

Only 15 per cent, of the Austrian population supported the Schusch- ning regime: if Germans were oppressed there he must and would interveny, and if he did intervene, he would act like lightning.

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

After haranguing me for half án hour, he turned to the question of disarmament and referred to the. threat to Germany of the Franco- Soviet

PACE

and of Czecho- Slovakia's accession thereto.

It was, he said, for that reason that Germany hnd to be so heavily urmed, and any limitation of arms- depended therefore on the

SR

The problem was, he continued, rendered particularly dificult

"by the fact that one could place as much confidence in the faith In treaties of a barbarous crea- turo like the Soviet Union as in the comprehension of mathema- tical formula by a savage.

"Any

with 146 agreement

·U.B.8.İ. was quite worthless and Russia should never have been allowed into Europe."

It was impossible, he added, to

Wbezry, Eurome Court

"SHE was in- Himmler's police records... Hitler became less human, his fits of rage more frequent."

scribed on

to use

have for instance any faith in any Soviel undertaking not poison gra.

The sentence in inverted com- mas are Ittler's actual words as recorded in the written and care- fully edited notes, mode and given

to me at the time by Dr. Schmidt.

In fact the whole of this account of the interview is summarised from that written record, upproved by Hitler himself and communicated to me by Herr von Ribbentrop.

05

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

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

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

it.

My onslaught

on Ribbentrop

By the end of the interview, the sconyl 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 elicited from me the retort that it seemed to me amazing that any man who had ved in Canada and been Am- bassador in London, should be so

of profoundly ignorant British meatality and habits.

Hitler seemed to appreciate. my for onslaught on his Minister Foreign Affairs whose ascendancy over him was at that time for from being what it subsequently breame.

[Copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly pro- hibited.

ON MONDAY: 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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