1940-05-04 — Page 2

PAGE 2-HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

“It was the final shipwreck of my 'mission

-Hitler had crossed the Rubicon

Sir Nevile Henderson

INSTALMENT – 12

Continuing his full story of his two years as British Ambassador in Berlin, Sir Nevile Henderson reveals to-day dramatic secrets of the Crisis of March, 1939, which culminated in the

CONQUEST of

the

CZECHS.

THOUGH he may never have

even considered choosing the road to normaley, I do not think that when I returned to Berlin in the middle of Feb- ruary, 1939, Hitler had yet decided what form the path of adventure was to take or when he would set forth along it.

I met him a few days after my return at a motor exhibition, and he seemed, genuinely glad to sec

ine.

Goering was on the point of leaving for San, Rema for a ebm- ming holiday, and even Ribbentrop -after he had assured himself that my long absence was due to a real illness and not to a diplomatie - malady had been distinctly friend- ly,

My Arst Indication of early trou- ble was at the annual banquet which Hitler gave to the diplo- maile

carps, somewhat later than usual, on March 1.

The opperent friendliness which he had shown at the motor exhibi- tion was notably absent at this dinner. He carefully avoided Inok- ing me in the face when he was speaking to me.

He kept his eyes fixed over my right shoulder and confined ls remarks to genul subjects, while

Be point that it was nol

business to interfere with

Germany in Central Europe.

I had heard it all before, but, while he said nothing new or start- ling, his attitude left me with a feeling of vague uneasiness.

In the

light

of wisdom after the event, I have no doubt that he way

weighing the was already various contingencies In regard to Prague, and making his plans

For Mareli 15.

The brew was, in fact, already being stirred by his followers. The Vienna radio was busily Inciting Slovaks against Czechs.

"Munich" a scrap of

paper

Hitler looks down on Prague from a window in famous Hradcany Castle.

HITLER

CHEATS

AGAIN

self with the State Secretary's on- surance about "decency."

htm

Welzacker was an honourable man, and I had forcibly impressed the reactions which would be inevitably produced in England if the German Govern- ment acted in any respect contrary to the Munich Agreement, or did anything of a nature to upsel

the Stanley- arrangements for Hudson visit, which was to take place at the end of the week.

the.

But I was not reassured. When I had spoken in the strongest terms against the use of troops, Welzwacker had protested that the behaviour of the Gerinan Army was always "decent"

It was not a remark calculated to allay my misgivings.

At the same time, I felt that official

protests on the part of fis

to

the

Believe, I have some reason that the text of such an ultimatum was actually telegraphed on Saturday to the German legation al Prague, but cancelled before it could be presented. Its terms would certainly have been harsh but would probably have left the Czechs at least a shadow of inde- pendence.

But the German-controlled Press and Himmler's provocative agents -those essential pieces of the machinery of. Nazism-were ready at work.

al-

What had happened after Mr. Chamberlain's visit to Berchtes- gaden six months earlier, and what was to happen in respect of Poland less than six months later, was again being enacted.

-Within-a-week, the quarrel-had-Majesty's Government would arrive--being-illtreated and massacred. become so embittered

that

on

March 10 the Czech President dis- missed the Slovak Prime Minister, Father Tiso, occupied Bratislava with Czech troops and gendar merie, and furcibly installed an- other Government there.

Once

again Hitler's opponents, Slovaks and Czechs alike, had made a false move and played into his hands.

The chance was too good a one for Hitler's opportunism to let it slide, and arrogantly, regardless of the consequences, he proceeded once more to pull the appropriate plan out of its drawer and to act iike lightning

Though the possibility

of

armed coup on Czecho-Slovakin, in

low

her

of Germany's position and to foment trouble in power that country, could never be dis- carded. I must confess that almost

up

to the last mom

moment found it

dimeult to believe that ter would Ko quite as far as he did. Was it sheer perfidy and lust for dominion, or complete amora- Iky and Inabilliy to consider any or anybody's outlook except his Own?

It was probably a combination of all those four, since the issue

was transparently obvious

The ink was hardly dry on the Munich documents, and if he had really wanted that understanding with Briloin

he professed which he so constantly, so eloquently, and in tones of such injured innocence to seck, he could never have vio- lated as cynically as he did the undertakings which he had given to the British Prime Minister.

As in the case of Austria just a year earlier, events moved with and on Satur- rapidity

startling day and Sunday, March 11 and 12, the German Press was full of wild tales of Czech atrocllies of Ger- mans flying for refuge.

went to the "Ministry for Foreign Affairs on the Monday morning, and saw the State Secre- tary and adjured him to see that nothing was done to violate the Munich Agreement or to upset the approaching visit to Berlin of Mr. Oliver Stanley and Mr. R. s. Harison on trade mission.

I found Welzsacker completely non-committal, and all that he could assure me was that what-.. over was done would be done in a "decent" manner.

I left Wilhelmstrasse Urat morn- ing filled with the gloomleat fore- bodings. I tried to comfort my-

too late, and in any case would merely meet with the same fate, those which had been made at the time of the occupation of Vienna.

Nothing but the direct and im- mediate threat of war would have stopped Hitler at that stage. The Czceli Government was alone in a position to save itself by its action.

After

with my

Con Weizsucker

saw the Czech Minister, and once again urged hit, since he himself was no longer in touch with the German his Forch Office, to propose to

Foreign Own

Minister Chval- kovsky, who was known to favour co-operation with. Germany, an Immediate visit to Berlin.

My mission shipwrecked

In my view, such direct coninci could alone sive the situation. It might be humillating, but it might prevent the worst from happening.

It was not pleasant advice give, but things might have turned out differently if it had been taken

earlier.

a

WAB

When not only Chvalkovsky, but. also President Hacha himself come to Berlin, it was already too late,

which The announcement, made on the following day, March 14, that the latter was on his way to appeal to litter, filled me with consternation.

Euchkovsky was one thing, but

was another. The latter wag Hend of the State, and as a Hesture it seemed to me unwisely humble and

excessive. Her had got him where ho wanted him, and would show neller meroy nor generosity. From that moment I was under

no illusion hint all was lost.

There was some question of my sitting up on the night of March 14 in order to await

earliest possible news of what was happen- ing at Hocha's meeting with Hitler.

Die

But I could do nothing more and preferred to go unhappily to bed.

My first glance at the newspapers In the morning was sumelent to confirm my worst opprehensions.

It was the final shipwreck of my mission to Berlin, or had crossed the Rubicon,

Up to March 12, the plan had been to send an ultimatum to the Czech Government supported by a display of force.

The tales of Czech atrocities grew, Germans were reported os

from refugees

the German area of Bruna were described as stream-

thousands ing in

towards the Austrian frontler, and so on and so forth ad nauséam.

How Prague

was seized

It was these stories which served as the pretext for Hitler to change his mind, to cancel the ultimatum, and to substitute in its place a fuli milliary occupation and the establishment of the Protectorate.

a genius at finding or was a creating plausible excuses for his actions, however, iniquitous!

It is dificult to believe that these machinations were not an intrinsic part of Hitler's own schemes, yet it seems but fair to relate that I heard some months Inter a story which seemed to indicate that they were not.

On his arrival at Prague on March 15, one of the first things which Hitler expressed a wish to do was to visit the hospitals.

His and courage, probably soldiers

consequently less well infor- med than Himmler's blackshirts, asked him for what purpose.

"To visit the German wounded, victims of Czech ill-treatment," was. Hitler's answer,

his

A thero were none, followers had some difficulty in persuading him that such a visit would be useless.

Possibly they induced him to believe that they exisied every- where except in Prague itself, but if the story is true-and my source was both a Czech and a good one

St

would

seem to indicate that some of the parly were even more Impatient than Hitler himself, or even that the Fuchrer was to some extent at least the tool of his. extremists.

Once Hitler's final decision had been taken, everything possible was done to give to the proceed- inga, at least in German eyes, a spurious air legality. The Ger- mana are traditionally legalminded. Enther Tiso, the Sloval Cathelle priest, had been summoned to Berlin on March 11 and persunded

These extracts are taken from the book by Sir Nevile Henderson entitled "Failure of a Mission." published by Meara. Hodder & Stoughton, Ltd.

In Vienna von Ribbentrop and Count Ciano, the smart young foreign ministers of Berlin and Rome, completed the vivisection of Czechoslovakia by signing a Hitler-dictated document awarding Hungary 5,000 square miles of Czech land and 860,000 human beings,

to place the fate of his small coun- try In Hitler's hunds.

He was told to proclaim the Independence of Slovakia and be- came its

under Arst President, German protection.

Dr. Hacha followed Tiso Berlin on March 14, though it is but true say that he came there of his own volition. In the hope of sparing his country the horrors of Invasion and of securing by his abasement at least a measure of generous treatment.

Whatever virtues Hitler

may possess, generosity is certainly not one of them personally, I was struck on several occasions, when generosity might have profited

him,

by the complete absence of that quality in his make-up.

Dr. Hacha was an old and weak MIRA, and his daughter travelled with him in order to look after him.

***

Ho was received with the honours due to the Hend of a State --or a condemned prisoner before execution and his daughter was given a bouquet of flowers by Rib- bentrop at the station.

On their arri

the Adlon arrival at Ilotel, she was presented with box of chocolates from Hitler! But

as the limit to that

Was

which his generosity went.

The Czech Foreign Minister, Chvalkovsky, had accompanied his President, and after an exchange of visita between him and Ribben- trop. Dr. Hacha was granted an interview with Hitler at his Chan- cellery at 1 nm. in the night.

A German doctor was thought- fully prifered to be in attendance there in case. Dr. Harta was taken it in the course of the pro- ceedings, and, if report be true. his services were

actually

TC-

quired once, if not twice.

Long before Dr, Hocha arrived at the Chancellery, German troops had

entered Czecho-Slovakia. already

The interview lasted until 4 o'clock in the morning. Much of the delay was due to the interrup- tion of all telephonic communich- tion between Berlin and Prague.

Dr. Huchu expressed fear

lest some rash Czech troops might fire on the German Invaders.

ns

of

case

regards the Trenly Versailles.

After Prague, Nazis censed to be national and racial, and became purely dynamic and felonious...

As I telegraphed on the fellowing day to Lord Halifax, "the annexa- tion of Bohemin and Moravia con- stitutes a

for always calling which will be redress, and though it may have afforded Hitler and Ribbentrop a facile triumph, it would be sad not to belleve that in the end it will prove a costly error. "His Majesty's Government will doubtless consider what attitude to adopt towards a Government which has shown itself incapable of ob- not six agreement serving n months old."

His Majesty's Government took nt the only course open to them that moment, by recalling me for

London. an indefinite period

My mission to Berlin was already a failure, and from that moment I had no real hopes of peace except in a miracle.

Though the ship was sinking, to that precarious hope I clung for another five and a half weary and anxious months.

When Goering was informed that the Stanley-Hudson visit would not.

the now take place, he professed utnost Indignation that it should be cancelled for such a trifle!

The

{1 Germans are strange, people: they seem utterly incap able of seeing any side of a ques- tlon except their own, or to under stund the meaning of civilised decency and moderation."

[Copyright in all countries. Re- whole or in part production in strictly prohibited.]

WAN

MONDAY

Ribbentrop wanted

war! Acorn Cabinet "zero hour is near"-Euter Stalin.

OFFICERS LENT TO HONGKONG

War the

He was told that, if they did so, Prague would at once be bombed by the German Air Force.

Fleid Marshal Goering, who had

In connection with been recalled from San Remo on

Revenue Taxes Hongkong, the names March 12, was present to reinforce have already been gazetted of two this threat, and Dr. Hacha was ad- officials who are to be Examiners vited to speak. by telephone per-under the Ordinance, and to work sonally to his Ministers at Prague." with the Commissioner, Mr. T. Black, to convey to them the warning.

Fuehrer's bad

blunder

It was only after much difficulty and delay that he was able to do

The newly-appointed officials are Mr. C. Van Langenberg and Mr. H. Lourensz, both of whom are lent by the Government of Ceylon, under whom they have been employed in the Income Tax Department since its inception In 1932. They are mem- bers of the Dutch Burgher community of Ceylon, and have Law degrees from London University. It's under- stood that the Hongkong Govern- ment has tent for additional omcials for the War Revenue department from

Otherwise, it was merely a ques- tion of signing on the dotted line, and this he did, thereby handing Ceylon.

the Czech people, "in

the Interests of pacification," to the German Reich.

over

The whole crisis had only last- ed five days. Hiller and singed another of his lightning coups, and once more the world WOR left breathless.

a brilliant As a coup it was success, but in every other respect It constituted an irreparable po- itical blunder, Godesberg was in comparison an unimportani and minor one.

Commenting on the appointinenta recently, the Times of Ceylon quotes Mr. T. D. Perera, Income Tax Com- missioner at Colombo, as stating that i was a unique tribute to Ceylon and Its Income Tax Department."

The paper reports that towards the end of last year, Me. T. Black, Accountant General of Hongkong, was in Ceylon and spent some time in the Income Tax Department there. As a result of his recommendation, By the occupation of Prague, it is stated, the Hongkong Govern alter put himself once for nll ment decided to adopt a tax some- morally and unquestionably in the

what on the lines of the one Iri wrong, and destroyed the entire Ceylon, and to ask for the loan of the arguable validity of the German Inecessary staff from there.

Saturday, MAY 4, 1940.

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