THE RHINELAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 78, 1 April 1936, Page 13

THE RHINELAND

SPEECH BY HITLER

FEAR OF COMMUNIST FRANCE

COLLAPSE OE A TREATY

According to a message to the London "Daily Telegraph" Herr Hitler began his speech to the Reichstag on the Rhineland issue on March 7 by saying: "Goering summoned this meeting by my orders. It is a meeting which the people instinctively regard as a most decisive one." Herr Hitler then referred to the end of the World War and President Wilson's Thirteen Points • and the creation of the League of Nations. Germany, above all, had made sacrifices for the new idealism. "I should like the German people," said the Chancellor, "to understand the inner motives of National Socialist foreign policy. ."We feel, for instance, that it is very unpleasant that the access to the.sea of a nation of 33,000,000 should cut through former territory of the German Reich. But we recognise that it is unreasonable simply to wish to deny so great a State access to the sea." The European nations were, after all, a family. Sometimes a quarrelsome family, but closely related with one another. If common sense, were not employed, there would be explosions which might leave a field of chaos behind them. Wherever they looked nowadays they saw internal and external disorder, he added. After reviewing the years following the war, Herr Hitler said: "Since the end of the war tension has increased more than ever before. The god of war has not laid down his armour, but marches through the world more heavily armed than ever. "We are not responsible for this development." THE GERMAN PROBLEM. The League of Nations had been based on the peace treaty and therefore did not work. The nations had forced Germany to take credits and had destroyed her export trade at the same time. Afterwards they blamed Germany for unwillingness to pay. Many .worries would have been spared Europe if economic political conditions had been settled in a sensible manner. ; "It is not wise to believe that in so small a house as Europe it is possible to have differing conceptions of right," Herr Hitler declared. "If the rest of the world often speaks of a 'German problem' it is useful to be sure about the meaning of this problem. "For many people this problem lies in the German regime, in the difference between the German regime and that of other countries, in the so-called rearmament, and in all that which is seen as a sequel to the re-armament. "This problem exists for many people in the alleged lust for war of the German people, in their 'dormant' aggressive intentions or in the devilish ability which they are believed to have of getting the better of their opponents. "But actually the German problem is quite different. Here, on a restricted "and not everywhere fertile soil there are 67 millipn people living,, that is 136 on every square kilometer. "These people are not less industrious than the other European peoples, but they claim just the same right to live as the others. "They have just as little longing to die as heroes for a fantastic idea as have the French and English. "The young German of twenty-five was a small child when the war broke out. Therefore he cannot be made responsible. for this international catastrophe. "The overwhelming majority of German: men went to war because . they could not help it," said Herr Hitler. "They did their duty as any other honest Frenchman .or Englishman. "The German people, has just as many good and bad qualities as all the others." Herr Hitler added that another aspect of the German'problem was the continual efforts of others to render Germany's struggle more difficult. THE WORLD'S INTEREST. "They would no doubt rejoice," he said, "if our distress were even greater than it is now, if we failed to render it tolerable-by the continual exertion of industry and intelligence. "But the world has an interest in the solution of- the German problem and in securing Germany's means of living. "But this is a question which for the time being concerns Germany alone, and the other nations in so far as Germany acts as buyer and seller on the international market." Amidst rousing applause, the Chancellor said: "The German, people needs no special help to assert itself in life, but it refuses to be worse off and have less chance than the other nations. This is one of the German problems. "It is impossible,"- he continued, "to keep an honest and brave people for ever as slaves. "There- is no better proof of Germany's love of peace than the fact that the German people, in spite of its ability, and bravery, and despite its great number, has secured for itself such a modest share in the world's state and vital goods. "In 1932 Germany was on the verge of Bolshevism. The man who wanted to save Germany from Bolshevism had to solve the problem of German sovereignty, not in order to help .other nations but in order to save them from Bolshevism "This struggle for sovereignty which I have been fighting for three years is not the establishment of a European problem but its solution "I have made up my mind to enforce German sovereignty and to labour for European understanding. "I did not reject co-operation with Russia, as some of my opponents say, but I rejected Bolshevism claiming to rule the world. "It is really a tragic misfortune that the Versailles Treaty should have created a. situation which the French people believed themselves to be specially interested in maintaining." Herr Hitler said that Europe was divided into two halves." "One half is composed of independent national States of peoples with whom we. are tied by history and culture and with whom we want to be tied for ever just as with the free and independent nations outside Europe THE RUSSIANS. "The other half is being governed by that intolerant Bolshevist philosophy which claims general international rule. We do not want to get into intimate contact wtih the latter, apart from the usual political, economic, and international relations. "It is regrettable that, after all our efforts to come io terms with France, France should conclude the Russian Pact of which we know the beginning but not the end. • "Whatever could be proposed for lessening the tension between Germany'

and France I have proposed. I proposed 200,000 men and 300,000 men, but everything was rejected' "Only one of my proposals was met; the realistic sense of the British Government led to the conclusion of the Naval Pact, and that is the first real success for the restriction of armaments. "We could only approach the problem of disarmament step by step. I suggested that it should be approached from the easiest angle. "I suggested an air Locarno. But this, too, was rejected. And then an Asiatic factor was drawn into international discussions. "It would have been easier for me to invite the German people to the desire for revenge than to foster the desire for international understanding, but.l did more in the way of psychological preparation than any other statesman. You saw the result at Gar-misch-Partenkirchen. (Great ap.plause.) [Herr Hitler's reference is to the recent Olympic Winter Games in Bavaria, when competitors from twentyeight nations took part.] "I succeeded in impressing on everyone here that they must desist from any attack on France in the Press or in public. "This willingness to seek a rapprochement is more important than the efforts of statesmen to invent complicated pacts." The Chancellor said the FrancoRussian Pact was in contrast to Locarno. "While France defended its frontiers with cannon and steel we were burdened with complete defencelessness in the west and bore even this in the hope of serving European peace and thus contributing to an understanding among the nations," he continued. Herr Hitler said that the Franco-Rus-sian Pact was much more serious than other pacts which France had concluded, for instance, that with Poland. It was possible that Soviet ideology might spread in France. In that case the decision of who was an aggressor would not lie in Paris but in Moscow. A PARADOX. Germany could not attack Russia, but Russia was able to attack Germany via the territory of its ally. "I bore even this in the hope of serving European peace and thus contributing to an understanding among the nations," Herr Hitler added. He referred to the interview which he had given to a French journalist, and said this, interview had been held back until after the ratification of the Franco-Soviet Pact in the Chamber. ' "I now draw the conclusions from the new situation," the Chancellor continued. "They are hard and I regret them. But I cannot only make sacrifices for international rapprochement, but must also make them for my own people. "As soon as we find that one partner does not esteem the sacrifices that are made, there arises- one-sided discrimination. The German people would rather shoulder all sacrifices than give up its freedom and honour." Herr Hitler then read the memorandum which has been sent to the Powers. Concluding, he said, "I ask the German people to strengthen me in my struggle for a true peace and to stand up for its honour." At the end of the Chancellor's speech General Goering said, "Germany is free. The future lies clearly before us. One nation, one leader, one will. The last obstacle to a . sincere rapprochement has fallen. No matter what fate has in store for,us we continue along our way and stand behind the Leader. We are prepared to risk all. Heil our Leader, our Nation!"