HITLER’S PIRACY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1939, Page 7

HITLER’S PIRACY

BRITISH AMBASSADOR’S NARRATIVE STORY OF THE FINAL NEGOTIATIONS. TRUE BACKGROUND TO EVENTS. (British Official Wireless and Press Association). RUGBY, October 17. A While Paper containing Hie lilial report by the British Ambassador, Sir Nevile Henderson, on the circiinistauces leading lo Hie termination of his mission to Berlin is published today. The document is of great present historical value as lo the views and opinions of Hie Ambassador on events leading to the war and tin 1 impressions made on him by leading' German personalities. Dealings with the factors forming the situation leading directly to the outbreak of the war, the Ambassador says: “The true background to the events of August, 1939, was the occupation of Prague on March 15 of this year, and the callous destruction thereby of the hard newly-won liberty of a free and independent people. This act by Herr Hitler was in deliberate violation of the Munich agreement, which he signed not six months before.” Typical of the person with whom he had to deal is the Ambassador’s comment on Herr Hitler's attitude to the world condemnation of this act of brigandage: “There is some surprising reason to believe that Herr Hitler himself was disagreeably and literally astonished at the reaction in Britain and the world generally, which was provoked by the occupation of Prague and his breach of faith with Mr Chamberlain. But while he may have realised his tactical mistake, it did not deter him from prosecuting his further designs.” The same attitude was manifest in one of the five interviews Sir Neville Henderson had with Herr Hitler during' the last few days before the war, when the Ambassador remarked that it was Herr Hitler who was ungenerous to the Poles in view of the advantages which the treaty with Marshal Pilsudski had brought. Herr Hitler denied that the treaty was ever of any benefit to Germany, and asserted it had been unpopular with his people. “It was a remark typical of Herr Hitlers’ capacity to ignore everything which he might have said or promised or might have done in the past as soon as it became contrary to his views for the present or future,” Sir Neville commented. GENERAL EXECRATION. Much interest attaches to a disclosure that as early as the beginning of the year the Ambassador reported to the Foreign Secretary that Germany's immediate objectives were Danzig and Memel. Herr Hitler thought it would not add much to the general execration if he settled these problems simultaneously with Prague. Therefore the Lithuanian Government was forced to surrender Memel and Herr von Ribbentrop dictated to the Polish Ambassador the terms Herr Hitler wished to impose on Poland. By ruthless suppression of the Czechs, the captain of the German ship of state hoisted the skull and crossbones of the pirate, cynically discharging his own theory of racial purity and appeared under his true colours as an unprincipled menace to European peace and liberty, said Sir Nevile. He added that Poland’s warning that intervention in Danzig would be regarded as aggression produced Herr Hitler’s final brainstorm, but the major disaster was Field-Marshal von Blomberg’s marriage to his typist. It had caused a crisis in the army and caused Herr Hitler to sack 14 generals including General von Fritsch, who was recently reported to have been assassinated in Poland. Those dismissed represented the most moderate of Herr Hitler’s advisers, and Herr Hitler, after they went, became more and more excluded from external influences and a law unto himself. THE FUEHRER’S “YES” MEN. “Simultaneously with Herr Hitler’s loss of the services of his best men, all opposition becomes intolerable to him." the Ambassador said. “All those bold enough to express opinions contrary to his views are shed one by one till he is surrounded by mere ‘yesmen,’ whose flattery and counsels are alone endurable. Marshal Goering would have prefered a peaceful solution, but Herr Hitler’s decision alone counted. “One of Herr Hitler’s greatest drawbacks is that he has never travelled except for two visits to Italy, and consequently he has relied on Herr von Ribbentrop for his knowledge of the British mentality. Herr von Ribbentrop consistently and falsely counselled him. Moreover, if anything counted it was the opinion of his military advisers. They urged him even in the week between August 25 and September 1 to secure British neutrality or at least goodwill regarding Poland, but possibly. this was a cover for his own plans.” Herr von Ribbentrop on the day war was declared handed to Sir Neville Henderson a long document refusing the British demands. Sir Neville commented after reading the document: “This is a completely false representation of events. It will be left to history to judge where the blame really lies.” Herr von Ribbentrop replied: “History has already proved the facts.” - ' ' - \