RECORD OF LYING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23940, 16 October 1939, Page 4

RECORD OF LYING

HITLER AS A DIPLOMAT PLEDGES MADE TO DECEIVE SIX YEARS’ TRICKERY At the end of 1918 a defeated Germany was protesting plaintively that she had never wanted the war which she launched in 1914, wrote H. C. Bailey in the London Daily Telegraph recently. Now that under another despot the German Reich finds herself again committed to the old desperate gamble, world might or downfall ” it is worth while to put on record the methods by which her Fuhrer has brought her to this pass. Six years have elapsed since the German people entrusted their destinies to Herr Hitler, In that spring of 1933 Europe had some reason to hope that a measure of disarmament might be agreed upon. The nations were working together for that end with evidence of good will. Herr Hitler proclaimed “a policy of peace, reconciliation and agreement as a basis of all decisions and every undertaking.” Perhaps some people who had read " Mein Kampf ’’ did raise their eyebrows and shrug their shoulders. But there was a general readiness to Ibelieve that the Fuhrer with the responsibility of Reichskanzler might show statesmanship and some respect for pledges which he gave in that office. The pledges were certainly encouraging. Europe was told that Herr Hitler rejected the use of force as a means of removing differences between States and would discuss all political and economic questions only within the framework of and through the treaties. “The German people,” it was virtuously added, “have no thought of invading any country.” Action* Were Different The most enthusiastic supporter of the League of Nations could have asked no more. But somehow or other the actions, even In 1933, did not match the words. By October Germany left the League and the Disarmament Conference, oddly enough at the very moment when Sir John Simon was making a speech to reconcile the French and German ideas of disarmament. Still Herr Hitler’s words went on being fair. If into some minds a doubt did steal of the sincerity of his desire for international co-operation, he was most pacifically eloquent over the Saar. At the time, that valuable coal field had not been returned from French control to Germany. The Fuhrer was vehement in declarations that once the Saar region was joined to the Reich again “only a madman would consider the possibility of war ” between Germany and France. The Saar declaration was the first of a long series of undertakings to abjure territorial demands. But, with these, what we must call the Hitler technique of perfidy was displayed in full outline. Subsequent development has filled It in with blatant/colour and invested it with more frightfulness, but the policy has been the same through *ll these six years. The Fuhrer makes a demand on this State or that, or, indeed, on the whole comity of nations, with solemn promises that, if it is granted, he will have nothing more to ask. he will abide by all his obligations: A month or two later, the obligations are broken and he is shouting for. more conces•ioins. The Offers of Treaties Further to delude his victims ha has made a practice of voluntarily offering pacts, assurances and guarantees to those States which at a later »tage he intends to pillage or destroy. Thus we find him at the beginning of 1934 making a. non-aggression agreement with Poland which was not allowed to stand in - the way for a moment when, this year, Herr Hitler thought the time had come to destroy Polish independence. But many lies had to be told and his signature had t 6 be many times dishonoured before the present stage was reached. After the Saar question had been settled the world was assured that “ the German Government is ready to accept not only the letter but also the spirit of the Locarno Pact.” It was still necessary to lull Europe, and in particular France and Britain, with protestations that Germany desired peace and good will. Her secret rearmament had not then gone far enough for even Herr Hitler to venture on challenging the. Western Powers. In 1935 Britain and France invited him to join in a general settlement which would remove the special military restrictions imposed upon Germany by the Versailles Treaty. The Fuhrer declined a conference, insisted on separate conversations, postponed them and before they had been held proclaimed that there was a German Air Force already in being and conscription would be at once introduced. But still the world was told that the Locarno Treaty would be kept by Germany, whatever else she broke. In the same 1935 speech Herr Hitler vowed that " Germany neither intends nor Wishes to interfere in the internal affairs of Austria, to annex Austria, or to conclude an Anschluss.” By this time a certain hesitation was being felt all over Europe in believing the FuhrerV word on any subject. The feeling spread that it was safer to be without any assurances from him. Schuschnigg: Tricked In the spring of 1936 the Fuhrer denounced the Locarno Treaty which he had been endorsing year bv year and almost month by month. Promptly he marched German troops into the demilitarised Rhineland zone and began to fortify it again. So the “ scraps of paper” flattered down the wind. Btit, to be sure. Herr Hitler sent after them a cry, “Germany will never break the peace of Europe. After three years I can regard the struggle for German equality as concluded to-day. We have no territorial demands to make in Europe? ” . , No territorial demands? How grimly familiar the words sound to-day. But in 1936 the world was still far from appreciating Herr Hitler’s capacity for perfidy. . t On April 1 of that year, a date appropriate enough, he submitted to us a Peace Plan of his own which included a “ 25-year pact of nonaggression.” The British Government sent him a cmestionairre to discover what his nebulosities meant, but he has never found it convenient to explain. He was through 1936 and 1937 engaged in completing his preparations for greater adventures. Armaments had to be built up. Italy entangled. Europe distracted by fomentation of the conflict in Spain, with Nazi and Bolshevist fighting a sham fight to throw Europe into disorder for their common profit. In February of 1938 the Fuhrer was ready to accomplish the rape of Austria. The old familiar technique was employed to cover his designs. Dr Schuschnigg, hapless man, saw Herr Hitler at Berchtesgaden. and received from him a reaffirmation that he recog-

nised the full sovereignty of Austria. That was, Dr Schuschnigg believed, “ a great gesture for peace, and he spoke of “ trusting the word and personality ” of Herr Hitler. Next month Herr Hitler’s troops marched into Vienna and Austria became a subject province of the Reich. “ Self-determination ” The excuse for this was that “ the rights of self-determination cannot be ignored because merely Germans are affected.” At once a menace was revealed to every country in Europe which contained any German-speaking or hypothetically German community. Our Government was sent assurances. from Berlin that the Fuhrer had no hostile intentions against Czechoslovakia. Marshal Goering, worthy lieutenant of such a chief, gave the Czech Minister in Berlin his “ word of honour” that his master had spoken the truth. Czechoslovakia might well “like - not the security.” But the threatened State and the rest of Europe continued to hope that there was some limit to Herr Hitler’s mendacity. He had so far only sought to annex territory in which the German language was predominant. While the rights of the quarter ol a million Germans among the 7,000,000 Czechs were being made by furious propaganda and provocation a cause of quarrel, Herr Hitler still continued to protest “we want no Czechs ” in the Reich. There is no need now to recount the details of the agreement which he signed at Munich a year ago. But let us not forget that the Fuhrer then gave one more of his pledges. After Munich, he assured Mr Chamberlain, he would “ have no further interest in the Czech State.” It was to retain its national existence, its political and economic independence. In the middle of March this year, less than six months after that undertaking, the Czech President was summoned to Berlin and compelled to sign a document declaring that the fate of the Czech peonle was placed by mm in the hands of the German Reichsfuhrer. Next morning German troops were in Prague and the Czech State and people were swallowed down into the maw of the Reich. The Drive to the East Then Herr Hitler felt himself strong enough to stake his all on the old gamble of German ambition, the drive to the East for world empire. Poland was marked down for the next victim. What if he had bound himself by a treaty, which had still five years to run. that he would make no aggression on Polish rights or territory? Treaties are scrapes of paper; promises and nledges are tricks to delude. He demanded the inclusion of Danzig in Germany and a route across the Polish Corridor from Germany to her detached province of East Prussia. What had he to offer Poland in return? A recognition of economic rights in Danzig and another nonaggression pact presumably as valuable and as enduring as the pact and recognition which he had just torn up. Could any nation in the world trust such German assurances now? Poland had the example of the destruction of Czechoslovakia reeking at her threshold. With stupendous effrontery Herr Hitler told his servile Reichstag: “Poland, like Czechoslovakia a year ago. believed under the pressure of a lying international campaign that it must call up troops.” The similarity needed no emphasis from him. Poland and Europe and the whole civilised world are well aware that they have to resist a tyranny of perfidy winch must be ended now for the safety of mankind. ___