ROGUES ALL

Evening Star, Issue 25776, 26 April 1946, Page 7

ROGUES ALL

Pre-war Nazi Intrigues Blorriberg's Marriage to Street Woman

Many Plots Against Fuhrer

[<Rec. 12.50 p.m.) NUREMBERG, April 25. The scandal of von Blomberg's marriage to his typist in 1938 was aired at the War Crimes trial to-day. At the time of his marriage, Blomberg, then 60, had been Hitler's War Minister for five years. His wife, formerly Erika Gruehn, was a typist in his office at the War Ministry. Goering was best man at the wedding, which Hitler also attended. Gisevius, a former Gestapo official, told the Allied tribunal that a scandal was created when it became known that Erika Gruehn was a prostitute registered in seven German cities. She was also in the Berlin " rogues' gallery." She had a list of convictions for having distributed pornographic photographs.

8 ■ ■ Blomberg's Rival Banished

The police president. Count Heldorf, had a thick file on Blomberg's wife. He realised that by passing on these records to Himmler he would place the German armed forces in an impossible position, addeii. Gisevius. " He would give Himmler the power to" make a coup against the armed forces." Hel-. dorf took the file to Keitel, then head' of the Supreme Command of the; German armed forces. Keitel, who was related to (Blomberg by marriage, de-

manded that Heldorf cover up the entire scandal. Keitel sent Heldorf to Goering, who said he knew nothing about Erika Gruehn's record. " Goering later told me that before his marriage Blomberg had asked his (Goering's) help to get rid of Erika Gruehn's lover. Goering gave Blomberg's rival a large sum of money, and banished 'him to South America. Goering did not tell Hitler of that incident."

Putsch That Failed

Gisevius continued that Goering later saw full details about Blomberg's wife, and went to Hitler who promptly had a nervous breakdown and sacked Blomberg. When the question of a successor for Blomberg arose, Hitlei* wanted to appoint von Fritsche, but this did not suit Goering and Himmler, and the latter accordiingly presented Hitler with a report about nomo-sexual acts by Fritsche. A later court investigation found that the whole of the charges against Fritsche were Gestapo intrigue. Dr Schacht canvassed Ministers and generals in favour of a putsch against Goering and Himmler, but Schacht decided that he could not rely on the generals to revolt. Schacht made a

second attempt to overthrow _ Hitler when the Czecho-Slovakian crisis was brewing. Haider suggested that they kill Hitler with a bomb on the -day after the outbreak, and tell the people the Fuhrer was killed by an enemy bomb while travelling in a train. Schacht was against waiting, however. On the appointed day. they heard that Hitler had agreed to go to Munich to meet Chamberlain. Gisevius said another attempt at revolt was due during the Stalingrad campaign, but von Paulus's surrender broke up the plan, which was intended to start from his command. The conspirators then abandoned the schemes for revolt, and concentrated on the asassination of Hitler.

Rommel in all Plots

"Unfortunately, a bomb placed in a plane talking the Fuhrer to the eastern front in the spring of 1943 failed to explode." Gisevius declared that Rommel participated in the anti-Hitler plots. He once proposed that Hitler, Goering, arid Himmler should be assassinated. Gisevius said the Vatican attempted to bring the British Government into contact with Dr Schacht's German revolutionary party. " The Pope tried to bring ahout negotiations for peace,

but the British Government, was not sure that any trustworthy group existed in Germany," Gisevius said. Gobbles first thought of setting fire to he Reichstag and a chemical was chosen which ignited after one hour. Ten members of the S.S. \ were selected for the task. Cross-examined by Mr Jackson, Gisevius said Goering was informed of every detail of the firing of the Reichstag. , ,