ON SILVER PLATTER

Evening Star, Issue 25782, 3 May 1946, Page 5

ON SILVER PLATTER

Allies Assisted Hitler - Fatal Munich Schach+'s Revelations (Rec. 11 a.m.) NUREMBERG, May 2. Britain and France at the Munich Conference handed Htiler on a silver platter more concessions than he ever hoped to get, said Dr Schacht, continuing his evidence before the War Crimes Tribunal. He added that they also dealt a blow to anti-Nazism inside Germany. Hitler tried only to get Autonomy for the Germans in Czechoslovakia, but Britain and France handed over, the Sudeten territories, which Hitler never expected to get. This success strengthened Hitler’s popularity and weakened the chances of removing him.

•Schacht contended that he had no prior knowledge of Hitler’s plans to invade Czeclio-Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, Poland or .Russia. He repeatedly refused to co-operate in any of these conquests. Schacht claimed that after his dismissal from the Reichbank presidency in 1939, he made an effort to prevent war, and when dis-f missed from his-post of Minister without Portfolio in 1943, his only political activity was directed to efforts to remove Hitler.. In consequence of his plottings with anti-Hitler generals and frequent contacts -with “prominent Englishmen, Americans, Frenchmen and neutrals,” the Gestapo was put on his trail, and liis life was in constant danger. Schacht declared that the visits _ of many foreign leaders, including crowned heads, gave Hitler such prestige that it was almost impossible for the Resistance members to carry on the task of enlightening the German people, who interpreted such visits as honourable recognition of Hitler going

beyond, the ordinary diplomatic courtesies. Raising his voice, Schacht declared that foreign nations must share responsibility with the Germans for the rise of Hitler. They failed, first, to aid democratic Germany, and later gave recognition and honours to the Nazi regime. Telling how Hitler gave him a forged painting as a present on his sixtieth birthday, Schacht said the picture was supposed to worth 20,000 marks, bijt as soon as it was brought into his room he recognised it as a forgery. “ I traced the original and returned the forgery to Hitler, who never replaced it.” In reply to Mr Justice Jackson, who opened the cross-examination Scnacht said as far as he knew, Hitler’s confidence men were Bormann, Himmler, Heydrich, Goering, and (Ribbentrop. justice Jackson said: “Hitler, Himmler, and Heydrich are dead.” Schacht replied: “ I regret that they are dead. I would have liked to see them die some other way.”