1940-04-30 — Page 24

PAGE 4.-HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

Chamberlain meets Hitler and Goering threatens that if

there

LONDON WILL BE IN RUINS

Negotiations in the

Sudeten crisis

the

origins of which were

described yesterday-

dragged

on

at Prague

throughout the summer of 1938.

When, in July, deadlock was reached, the British Government Bent Lord Runciman to act as in- dependent mediator

But before that mission could reach a settlement the next Nazi Party Rally was being held at Nurem- berg, and Hitler was mak ing a speech that "set a torch to the Sudeten lands."

Sir Nevile Henderson, British Ambassador in Berlin until the outbreak of war, reveals to-day secrets of those

more

dramatic days. TAM, personally, not likely to

Sir

Nevile

Henderson

views by referring to the fall of the political barometer.

Hler had curtly replied that forecasts were always weather wrong and turned the subject.

conviction

lle was in the midst of his whole Nazi army and after May 21 he was not for a moment going to allow i to be thought that he was subject to any further external dictation.

It was my absolute then, and with the enlightenment of time it was even more so, that SD, the he would have declined on ground of all fuls other numerous engagements to receive me if I hud asked for a special audience.

оп

Also, if I had given him through Ribbentrop any official warning- which must have become public properly the effect would have been to drive him right off the deep end, and would have made an im- Czecho- mediate

nggression Slovakia unavoldable.

The idea of a public warning to be given by me to Hiller at Nuremberg, which was seriously considered by Itis Majesty's Gov ernment was accordingly drop- ped at my insistence to the above effect,

forget in a hurry my second visit to Nuremberg in 1938, cooped up for five days in the diplomatic train, without privacy and practically with- -out-means-of-communication.about Hitler's speech at Nuremberg

I was already feeling very un- well at the time of a malady which was to put me liors de combat for four months in the winter; sleep al night in a wagon-ilt compart ment was hardly possible, and rest during the day there was none.

I had left Berlin on the night of Tuesday, September 4, meaning to stop n mere thirty-six hours. In the event I stopped five full days.

Wrote notes on

"thriller" pages

A railway train scarcely lends itself to writing, and I had fool- ishly omitted to provide mycelf with any materials.

for

Jotter to

to London by special

the

When eventually I had to send

aeroplane, I was obliged to use purpose the blank pages torn from some detective stories.

My vocal activities were, on the other hand, immense. I had two long conversations with Geering, three with two

But the most that can be sald

was that it did not actually ̈slam" the door finally on a peaceful solu- tion.

It was truculent and aggressive: it claimed self-determination for the Sudetens and promised them Germany's full support, but it set no time-limit and demanded plebiscite.

110

Nevertheless it set the torch to the inflammable materul in the Sudeten lands, and was the signal for an outburst of demonstrations,

rioting and serious disturbances.

The Czechs replied with martial

faw,

and Henlein retorted by

abandoning the Carlsbad points as

no longer sufficient.

In these circumstances, the Prime Minister set into operation his plan for personal contact with Hitler, and shortly after my return to Ber- I received Instructions

lin

arrange it accordingly.

to

I did so through Ribbentrop, and Hitler at once agreed.

Chamberlain

with Ribbentrop, two or three win says 'I'm tough’

Neurath

I conveyed, besides, an endless succession of warnings to a host of other Nuzl personallies of scarcely lesser note, the cumulative effect of which, since talking there was almost the equivalent of broad- casting, I hoped would be useful.

To all except Hitler with whom I merely exchanged bapalities In the midst of my colleagues, ` my remarks were tho' samo.

"If Germany makes an aggres- sivo attack on Czecho-Slovakia, France is in honour bound to come to the aid of the Creche, and if France is engaged in war, Great Britain will inevitably be drawn in also."

pt

I felt that the most immediate matter of importance was no to impress this on the German minda that Hitler, in the blg political speech which he was to make the end of the Congress, would think twice and would not adopt therein an

attitude from which afterwards he could not recede.

It was indeed clear from the bo- ginning that Hitler himself was do- termined to refuse any political, contact with the foreigner.

At the diplomátie reception my French, colleague, Francois Poncet, no senior member of the diplomatic body, had tentatively sought his

I was given to understand that his first reaction was to save tho elder man the fatigue of the journey by going himself to London, or at least half way there.

His second was Chamberlain

husband.

to

to invite Mrs. accompany her

There was, however, no time ta consider counter proposals, and the Prime

Minister

at lett London eight-thirty on the morning of the fifteenth and reached the Munich aerodrome four hours later.

I had myself left Berlin by train the evening before and had arrived at breakfast-time in Munich, where there were certain hurried details as regards ciphering and typing to be arranged with Mr. Corvell, the Consul-General there.

The British plane did the journey quleker than was anticipated, and I was at the aerodrome barely Ave or ten minutes before it landed.

Neither Mr. Chamberlain nor Sir Horace Wilson, who accompanied him, had ever flown before, and I was a little nervous how they might have stood the journey. I need not have been.

Mr. Chamberlain stepped out of the machine looking remarkably fresh and qulle Imperturbable. In reply to some comment of mine, he said, "I'm tough and wiry.”

at

The Premier

arriving

Munich.

With him is

Ribbentrop..

And he had need to be, inasmuch as by the time he got to bed at 11 p.m. that night he had been travel- ling by car and rall and acroplane for at least ten hours with much talk with Ribbentrop and others in between, and with a long interview with Hitler and telegraphic report to his own Cabinet to finish up with.

On arrival at Berchtesgaden shortly after 4 pm., we drove flest of all to the hotel, where accom- modation had been hurriedly pre- pared for us.

Hitler suggests

private talk

A bare half hour's groet was there accorded us before we left again in a fleet of motor-cars for the drive of some twenty minutea up the mountain to the Berghof.

by Hitler, There

surrounded General Keltel and a few other members of his immediate entour-

TO-MORROW

Hitler goes back on his word- Chamberlain's Indignation

"War seemed inevitable."

age, received the Prime Minister on the top of the small flight of steps which lead to the entrance of his unpretentious mountain fastness.

The first item on the programme was tea, which was served in a semi-circle before the fireplace situated opposite the great window of the reception room looking ncross the mountains to Salzburg. After twenty minutes of desul- the Chancellor tory conversation,

the Prime Minister suggested to that they might begin their talk

they disappeared, and

together with the reliable interpreter. Dr. Schmidt, into Hitler's study.

sit

room

The rest of us remained to and talk together in the reception

for the next three hours. Hitler's personal staff did their best to feed and entertain us, but it was a wet and misty September evening and even the distraction of looking out of the window at the view was denied us.

the other hand thero was a On constant influx of German Press telegrams about incidents in the Budelen lands.

One. I remember, reported that forly Germans had been killed in clash somewhere with Crech, gendarmes.

who

was

A. British observer, of whom there were already a number in Czecho-Slovakia, and Immediately sent to verify the facts of the case; subsequently ascertained that there had, in fact, been one death.

It was a typleat example of the 'method of exaggeration and actual falsification of news which followed by the German Press at that time and has been ever since. It had been my idea that would be best for the Prime Minister and Hitler to have their meeting alone and not in the com- pany of Rubbentrop, as would have been inevitablo if Mr. Chamber- inin had been accompanied by Sir Horace Wilson or myself.

It was so arranged, but to the event this was unfortunate, as, thanks to Ribbentrop and con- trary to normal usage, the inter- preter's record of the converse- Lion was never communicated to the Prime Minkler, thereby.

.

causing him much extra trouble and worry, as well as rendering the procedure of conversations a deux subsequently impossible.

New meeting

arranged

were

I have always regretted this, as Ribbentrop's interventions never helpful and niten the reverse.

At the later interviews Sir Horuce Wilson was always pre- sent, and myself sometimes, while Kirkpatrick (of the British Em bassy) acted as British interpreter and tools re

records of the meetings. In the course of this first con- versation, which lasted for three hours, Hitler made it clear that the

ho only terms on which could agree to a peaceful solution by agreement was on the basis of the acceptance of the principle of self-determination,

The Prime Minister Anally accepted that principle for him- self, and undertook to consult his Cabinet and to endeavour to secure its consent to it, and likewise that of the French and Czech Govern ments.

Hitler, for his part, declared his readiness Lo discuss thereafter ways and means, and undertook to meet Mr. Chamberlain again at a date to be agreed upon between. them.

was

The Prime Minister accordingly left by air for London again on the following morning.

recalled Lord Runciman from Prague for consultation, and the French Premier and Morsicur Bonnet were invited to London an September 18:

Goering talks of

our defences

Wog

the

over

Mr. Neville Chamberlain loyally exccuted his side of the bargain and even more, since His Majesty's Government and the French Gov- ernment agreed to persuade the Czecho-Slovak Government, in the cause of peace and the mainten ance of the be

of the vital Interests of Czecho-Slovakia herself, not only to grant self-determination, but to cede without plebiscite to Reich all the Sudeten areas in which the population nifty per cent. German.

however, the In the meantime,

In Czecho- internal Slovakia after Berchtesgaden bad

bad to worse. gone from

Thousands of Sudeten refugees had begun to pour over the fron- liers, many undoubtedly at Nazi instigation, but also out of real fear of being caught, in the event of war, between two fires.

Ultimately, there were about 250,000 of these unfortunate people ir

Germany.

הוסfr

somia

ded

The able bodied were enrolled as "free Coips" and started to ruid back from Czecho-Slovakia. The casualty lists began to mount up.

The Hodzn Government resigned and was

by a a Govern- concentrations at ment of Progue led by General Syrovy.

A Press campaign of unprece- dented violence was set loose in Germany and the Foles and Hun- garians joined in the hunt.

In view

of the agreement be- tween the Prime Minister and Hitler at Berchtesgaden to meet gain, the German Press campaign was particularly indefensible.

But self-determination, now that the principle had been conceded, was no longer enough for Hitler. though Goering at this Ume

Kave mo his word that Germany would tako no action before second meeting had

had taken place,

he very few Czechs left alive and

le of 'Loudon left standing.” He then proceeded to give me fairly accurate details of the num bers of modern anti-aircraft guns which we possessed at the time, as well as of the unpreparedness of England's air defences generally.

also mentioned, doubtless true at

the

was

time, that the German air force was numerically superior to those France, Belglum Slovakia combined.

and

of Britala,

Czecho-

[Copyright in all countries. Re- production in whole strictly prohibited.3

or in part

BANKS

THE CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA & CHINA.

Incorporated by Royal Charter 2233 Paid-up Capital

£3,000,000 Reserve Llablity of Proprietors £3,000,000 Reserve Fund

....£3,000,000

HEAD OFFICE)-LONDON. 38 Bishopsgate, E.C.L. Sub-Agancles in London: 117/172, Leadenhall Street, E.C.J. Wast End Branch: 1/16, Cockapur 8tract, BW.1. Manchester Branchi

itongkang

52, Mosley Street, Manchester, 1.

AGENCIES AND BRANCHES: Alor Star

Rangoon Amritsar

Salgon Bangkok

Semarang Batayla

Beremban Shanghat Singapore Bitiawan Sourabaya Talping

Horbin

Ipoh

Jiolto

Bombay

Karachi

Calcutta

Klang

Agencies:

Kobe

Clive Street

Kunla

Patella Place

Lumpur.

Kuching Madras

Tientsin

Tongkab

Manila

Modan

Tsingtao

New York

(Bhuket)

Yokohama

Petoing

(Peking)

Canton Cownpore Cebu Calamba Dejhl liaiphong

Bamburg Hankow

Penang

General

FOREIGN EXCHANGE and Banking Business transacted.

CURRENT ACCOUNTS opened and FIXED DEPOSITS received for One Year or shorter periods in Lecal or Other Cur- rencies at rates which will be quoted on application.

SAVINGS ACCOUNTS also opened in Local Currency and Sterling with interest allowed at rates obtainable on application. 'The Bank's lead Om in Londea undertakes Executor & Trustee business, end claims recovery of British Income Tax overpaid, on terms which may be Icertained at any of its Agencies and Branches..

R. A. CAMIDGE,

Manager.

7

PEPSODENT

"TOOTH PASTE

and POWDER

CONTAIN RIUM

FOR GREATER CLEANSING POWERE

Becona | HONGKONG SOCIETY FOR THE Nevertheless, 118 the Field PROTECTION OF CHILDREN Marshal pointed out, there was no time to waste, and Germany was not bluffing.

I remember, his saying to me on this occasion:-

"If England means to make war on Germany, no one knows what the ulumilo end will be, But one thing is quite verisim. Before the war is over, there will

WE ARE AT WAR

We know you help War Charities,

but please do not forget that war,

or

по

war, Hungry Childron MUST be fod.

We daily feed hundreds.

Tuesday, APRIL 30, 1940.

Libby's

100 Foods

Pay-Day Bargains

IT WILL PAY YOU

TO BUY TO-DAY!

AT

ASIA COMPANY

63-65 Des Voeux Road, Central Hong Kong

Tel. 20416

NOW PROCEEDING

DISTRIBUTORS:

DODWELL &

Hong Kong

Go Empress

CO., LTD.

ONE MANAGEMENT DIRECT to North America

and Europe!

EMPRESS LUXURY and record speed across the Pacific to Victoria and Vancouver-In Canada's Evergreen Playground.

A Sailing from HONG KONG The Third Week in May A Sailing from-HONG KONG The Second Werk in June

(Above sailings omit call at Honolulu) Fast AIR CONDITIONED trains from ship's side tako you through the Majestic Canadian Rockies-Lako Louise, Bon!-000 miles of, glorious mountain scenery, Stop over anywhere you wish.

DANG

NEXT SAILING TO MANILA SECOND WEEK IN MAY

Due to existing emergency, the consistency of prompt departures and arrivals of Canadian Pacille"Steamships which has been maintained heretofore may be disturbed. Apply to Canadian Pacific representative for particulars of mailing dates,

For full information consult your travel agent,

Union Building,

Hong Kon

Telephono 20762.

or

Canadian Pacific

World's Greatest Travel System

PRESIDENT LINER

Sailings

HONGKONG to SINGAPORE direct

First week in May

HONGKONG to SAN FRANCISCO direct

Middle of May

★ ★ AMERICAN

PRESIDENT LINES

*** "BOUND-WORLD SERVIČEŃ DIVE AGENTS FÖR T.W.A, AND UNITED AIR LINES

12, Podder Street

Telephone 28171.