1940-04-29 — Page 14

PAGE 4-HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

SIR NEVILE

NEARLY 3,000,000 Ger- mans lived in the Sudeteni lands of Czecho-Slovakia. Led by Conrad Henloin, most of them were pro- Hitler.

After the rape of 'Aus- tria (see Saturday's in- stalment), Czecho- Slovakia was in a hopeless. position strategically. Bri- tain and France advised her to come to terms with Henlein, if possible.

For two months, an agreement was sought. But then, in May, 1938, another Crisis burst.

Sir Novile Henderson, British Ambassador. in Berlin until the outbreak of war, tells to-day the secrets of those dramatic days.

THE situation in the Sude-

THE

ten lands was gradually deteriorating. Incidents of a more or less serious nature had become matters of daily 'decurrence,

A German Press campaign had reached such a pitch that it was but natural to believe, especially after the recent example of Austria, another German lightning coup was impending.

"All the materials for an ex- plosion were thus present when rumours began to spread of a German concentration on the Czech frontier,

On receipt of circumstantial reports to that effect from Prague and elsewhere on May 20, I im- mediately called on the Secretary of State. Baron von Welzseker, and asked him to tell me whether there wa any truth Ita stories.

there

Country scoured

for proof

He denied them, but I asked hiu to telephone to General Keitel on any behalf, to remind him of the faise information supplied to the Military Attache of H.M. Embassy before the invasion of

Austria, and

to ask the general to acquaint me authoritatively with the facts,

An hour later. Baron von Weiz- sacker assured me, culegorically on the word of General Keitel, that the tales of trupp concentrations were absolute nonsense.

Similar assurances were given to the Czech Minister in Derlin na well as to the Czech Government in Pra

But the attitude of the German Press and the precedent of Aus- trta len

lent colour to the wildest rumours, and the reports from Prague in regard to German troop movements became more and more

detalled.

In fairness to the Czechs, It must be realised that much almoral inilitary petivity was contually going on in Germany and that in- skilled agents and observers can ensity be misled.

On the morning of May 21, 1 ng- cordingly sent both the British military attaches on an extensive military reconnaissance through Saxony .and Silesin (Colonel) Mason Macfarlane actually, cover- ed 700 and Major Strung some 590 miles by car between

ane dawn and the

next). Tlicy

could discover no sign of unusual or significant German military activity, nor, indeed, could any of the milltary attaches of ather foreign missions in Berlin.

"They will be exterminated!"

But the fat was in the fire; full credence was, not unnaturally, ut- tached abroad to the Czech stories, and I spent most of May 21 at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, regis- tering protesta on behalf of His Majesty's Government and official- ly confirming the warning given in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister on March 24.

(This warning declared that "if war broke out, it would be unlikely to be confined" to those who had assumed direct obilpa- tion).

My first interview with Herr von Ribbentrop on May 21 proved the occasion for a certain amount of

wing911 Loth sides.

to a regrettable indiacTE- tion, one of the British newspapers had quoted General Keitel by name as having dented to me the reports of German troop movements.

Ribbentrop, who was doubtless offended that I should seeit infer mation from anyone except him- self, began by complaining of this, and sald In consequence no mill tary information wo

would ever. In

future be communiented to me.

HENDERSON

INSTALMENT · SEVEN

Ribbentrop with his young daughter Ursula, `

Ribbentrop

THREATENS

WOMEN and CHILDREN

He thereupon turned in wrath

to the accidental murder of two Germans near Eger, and used as ezards the Czechs the most re- prehensibly bloodthirsty lan-

When I observed that, while

general conflagration. the only result of which might prove to be the destruction of European civilisation.

So for as ofclal action went, this ended the so-called May 21 ineldent at Berlin.

On

would be one of my Service At- inches, that he was going ordinary leave of absence, and that I did not propose to prevent his dolog so, but that I would cer- tainly cancel the extra railway carriage and forbid the departure

of of any other members my staff.

Looking back in the light of subsequent events, all this seems rather childish, but I should like to take this opportunity to dis- claim any attempt in the Moy crisis of 1938 to emulate Disrnell's coup at the Berlin Congress.

•

pushed· ́film' definitely ́over the borderline from peaceful,nego- lation to the use of force.

From May 23 to May 28 his E of sulke and fury lasted, and en the latter date he gave orders for a gradual mobilisailon of the army which should be prepared for " eventualities In the

autumn.

He had made' up his vindictive mind to avenge himself upon Benes and the Czechs.

Once again it was a case of those within his power paying for the hundiliation which others hnd cnused him.

. At the same time, In order to protect himself from any possible reaction on the part of France, he Initiated the nonumental and costly work known as the West Wall in Germany, and abroad us the Siegfried Line,

It cost Germany £750 millions, and the expense of it added to Hitler's resentment.

He went so far on May 20 as to fix October I as the actual date for the Czech criats.

Czechs “fatally

encouraged"

Looking back on the past, one realises how little justifited by actual facts was the so-called vie- tory of May 21.

The Germans had never mobil- ised, nor, though their own news- papers and the recent invasion of Austria were greatly responsible for the illusion, had they actually ony intention at that time of a "coup" for which they were not yel ready and which, as they, real- ised, required ininitely greater and поге careful preparations than had been necessary in the case of Austrin.

We had cried "Wolf" prem- turely, but the fact of the matter was that the world had already lout all confidence in Hitler's good faith, and the liveliness of the

"War seems to general anxiety was the measure

have begun"

The fact was that everybody's nerves were already worn pretty threadbare

at even

tho early

stage.

I cannot refrain from quoting another small story in evidence of this.

dined on the night of the 21st with

Frau von Dirksen, step- mother of the German Ambassa- dor in Londen and a friend of Hitler's.

The French Ambassador was also there, and in the course of dinner the municipal authorities suddenly began nearby to demolish with dynamite à anail hotel, the re-

of which was included in

of Berieme for the rebuilding Leant across my hostess und rked to Francois-Poncet that war seemed to have begun,

renat

It is doubtful if the remark was 1 well-chosen one at that moment,

-tho-death--of-two-German-was-By-the-Monday-morning-all-but-and-it was possibly a poor.example.

grently to be deplored, it was bet- fer that two should die rather than hundreds of thausands in war, his only reply was that every German

ready to die for his country. Incidentally, I believe that the

was

the most intractable had become convinced that the stories of Ger- aan troop concentrations were in fact untrue.

of humour.

Several months later, Goering said to me. "You were yourself pretty scared during the May clisis." I asked him why he be loved this und he repeated the above story which had been seriously retalled to him at the time.

unsuitability of his language Special train for loved

inalne

оп

this occasion earned

carmed for him o reprimand from his master, and time thereafter he re- some

ed out of favour. He as to get back again into it ter in the crisis, his com- when, later forting assurances that England would never Aight were to give that master the encouragement which he needed for the prosecu tion of his policy In September.

In any ense, Ribbentrop's at- lude on the morning of May 21 dld-nothing to case the strain, and on the some afternoon I saw him u second time, on instructions froin London.

I notified him of the action which His Majesty's Government were taking in Prague with a view to Inducing the Czech Government to come to a settlement direct with. Henicin.

Then I warned His Excellency that France and definite obliga- tions to Czecho-Slovakia, and that. if these had to be fulfilled. His Majesty's Government could not guarantee that they would not be forced by events to become them- selves involved.

Ribbentrop sulks

Ribbentrop, who had been high- ly excitable in the morning, had become sullen in the afternoon.

His attitude (doubtless on orders from Hiller, for whom the point continued to be bitter one till the end) was that all remon- strances should be addressed to Prague, and not to Berlin, and he declined to give to Hentein any advice on the lines of that witch giving to the Czech Gov- wo ernment.

a general war ensued, it would," he said, “be a war of on- gression provoked by France, and Germany would fight as she had done in 1914." He repeated this phrase constantly in September.

Finally, on the Sunday, I

I retorted that I could only in--ivered to him through the State fer from his attitude that General *; Böcretary (Ribbentrop · having Keitel's information to me had left Berlin by, then) a personal been incorrect, and that I would message frotn Lond Halifax. feel obliged to report to that effect e, drawing his attention to the risk to my Government,

of precipitato action leading to a

Embassy staff

An

The municipal elections Czecho-Slovakla on the Sunday had passed of without further bloodshed and to the complete satisfaction of the Henlein party, and things might have been ex- pected to resume a normal course, Before explaining why they did not, it is necessary here

men-

tion tuor featute of this crisis, a feature which, utterly unlm- portant in itself, was given wide publicity, and which I quote be-

I explained that I had only mcant it as a joke. Whereupon Goering replied that he himself happened to be in Berlin thot had forgotten that the night, and demolition was to take place.

"When," he said, "I heard the first explosion, my immediate reaction was those cursed Czechs have begun it.'"

to

If Goering could have jumped

such

a conclusion, it is not strange that other people should have had misgivings.

cause it netually had a certain Hitler

bearing on subsequent events.

I refer to the story of the special train.

As 11 happens, the Naval Attache

to the British Embassy was pro- Leeding on May 21 on normal leave with his whole family. A member of my staff regarded this as a good opportunity to send his own small children away.

He was informed by the Railway. Company that, there was no room on the train. but that an extra coach would be added, provided it could be filled.. Two other mem-

bera of my staff were accordingly persuaded to caret their families for the exodus, and thus the coach was Alied and ordered.

I first learnt of this develop- ment when I returned from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs about midday, and found the French Ambassador on my doorstep, In- quicing whe

whether it was true that I was evacuating the whole of the British Colony.

The news had this time oven by got as far as London, and I re- ceived simultaneously on urgent telephone inessage from the For- eign Offee, requesting me to can- cel the arrangements made to this effect.

I had hardly put the telephone down when ie Sinte Secretary rang me up from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tolling me that he lad received a number of Embassy for visas and begging me pports hot to be an: alarmist,

I told Baron von Weizsneker that I had only just learnt myself of this unfortunate coincidence, that one of the last persons whom I would allow to leave in a crisis

swears

Vengeance

The story is at the same time on iluminating one in regard to German mentality.

When we were thinking only that Germany was on the point of attacking the Czecha, the Germans were apprehensive lest the latter meant to provoke a European war before they themselves were ready for it.

As I said before, things might have been expected to resume a normal course after the scare of the May week-end. That they did nol was no doubt partly due to the attitude of the foreign Press.

The publicity of

of the impressive official

unlarning given, us it even- at Berlin, was unfortunate enough. unfortunate enough. The deflant gesture of the Czechs in mobilising some 170,000 troops and then proclaiming to the world that it was their action which had turned Hitler from his

But what

could Hitler

not

of that cemplele mistrust.

Moreover, the upshot of the campaign was unfortunately

Press

twofoldi.

Not only did it serve us an ex- cuse for Hitler to come down on the side of the extremists, and to approve once again of solutions by force, but it also. fatally en- couraged the Czechs to belleve that their position was secure, and Benes in his reluctance to go for enough to satisfy The Sudeten Germuns.

[Copyright.

Reproduction

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TO - MORROW: Czech crisis flares up again- Premier flies to Berchtes- gaden-"there will be little of London left standing" -Goering.

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Excellent Entertainment At Peninsula purpose was equally regrettable, The spacious lounge of the Penin- sula Hotel was fully occupied last stomach was the exultation of the night when a large number of people Preas. The protagonists of collec-attended a military band concert in dive security proclaimed the vic-aid of the British War Organisation tory of their system. Every news- Fund paper in

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EUROPEAN STOCK MARKET

KILLED

་

Bodyguard To Shanghai Council Member

Shanghai, Apr.: 28. Two Chinese gunmen to-day shot 53. and killed Me W. B. Carinë,

at the home British watchman Mr. G. A. Haley.

member of the Municipal Counell and director of Ltd., when he challenged the Chinese, Imperial Chemical Industries (China),

who were trespassing on Mr. Haley's

of

REPORT

Hongkong Stock Exchange Omcint Summary issued says:

A few H.K. Banks at $1,810 and

China has (old) at $8 prevented the morning being entirely blank.

Buyers

ILK. Banks $1,500 China Lighta (01) $7.50 Lane Crawfords $0 Wm. Powell #1 Entertainment ST

Hellnes

HK, Banka $1,018 -Docks Cum Hit) $12 Providents $4.49 Electrica 0514)

Bator

III. Banks $1,010, Union Ina, $425 China Lights (Old) ta

The gunmen escaped.

Mr. Carina formerly worked in

The Band of the Middlesex Regi-property. ment provided the musical arrange- Recently there have been rumours ansassination threats ngainst ments under the conductorship of Mr. W. E. Kifford,

Municipal Councillors and therefore It was usual for the Councillors to be escorted by bodyguards since the the Chinese CustomS In Kowloon recent "eletions.

and served in the British Navy dur- Mr. Haley's home is in the disput- ing the world war. He leaves a ed extra-Settlement road area. He Chinese wife and *** dauklitor In refused, to comment on the incident.Shanghal-United Press.

The evening's excellent: entertain- ment also included itoms by. Gus d'Aquina (tenor), Peter Esdakoff ¡ (violin); Geo Plo-Ulaki, Art Carneiro and Terry Lucido (nccordeon) and Muriel Portaillon (contralto),