WHAT NAZIS THOUGHT WAS IN BRITAIN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 9, 11 January 1946, Page 5

WHAT NAZIS THOUGHT WAS IN BRITAIN

SOME SOLID SUPPORT BOASTS OF GERMAN FOREIGN OFFICE Recd. 8 p.m. London, Jan. 9. A report by the Nazi Foreign Policy Office, boasting o£ strongly pro-Ger-man activities by “anti-Communists in the General staff” of the R.A.F., was disclosed by the American prosecution at Nuremberg to-day. Only extracts were read to the court, because Lord Justice Lawrence expressed the tribunal’s increasing impatience at the protracted Amencan presentation of the case against Rosenberg, but the full text was distributed to the Press. One passage attributed to Rosenberg stated tiiat the American newspaper proprietor William Randolph Hearst "begged me to write the German foreign policy for his papers.” A passage about Rosenberg’s attempts to “find persons in England who had a desire to understand the German movement,” asserted that, as a sequel to Rosenberg s visit to London in 1931, contact was made with a member of the British air staff, “who was firmly of opinion that Germany and England must stand together in defence against the Bolshevist danger.” SAW HITLER Rosenberg said this officer visited Germany and saw Hitler in 1934, and that cordial relations were established with other members of the a.r staff. Rosenberg added: "The air staff always enquired from us what they could stale to refute anti-German elements in London in a manner favourable to us. In contrast to certam people who would speak out most fervently for Germany, only to speak to the contrary some months later, this staunch group, namely the air staff, which was run by younger officers, proved itself a solid support in all changing situations. Not least in this influence was the great speech by Mr. Baldwin (later Earl) in the previous year, in which he promised Germany the right to air protection. English Ministers who did not wish to adopt this viewpoint were sharply criticised, and in tiie change of Foreign Ministers the pro-French candidate was not selected, but rather the former Air Minister, Sir Samuel Hoare, who to this day keeps up personal contacts with the Air Ministry.” The report goes on to state that at Sir Samuel Hoare’s request a memorandum on the spiritual foundations of National Socialism was transmitted to him, "it being his desire to understand our movement more fully.” The report adds that during Mr. Ramsay MacDonald’s regime "this feeling of cordiality was supported by Mr. MacDonald’s private secretary, whom I met in 1933 and with whom I had extensive discussions.” "iWESSAGE I ROM KING.”

Rosenberg said that someone, to whom he referred, was instrumental in introducing him to a representative of a firm making aircraft engines for the R.A.F. and added: "Since the German industry itself by then had attained production capacity, this almost official British offer for German air arming could not be fully accepted.” A later passage stated: "Toward the close of last year (1938), we received a message that the King of England, George VI., had expressed himself very dissatisfied over the German official press agency. Consequently we received a request from London to make it possible for our English agent to visit London in order to orientate the Duke of Kent in every detail pertaining to National Socialism, so he could convey this information' to the King."

Rosenberg said that a person, whom he identified only by the initial R, went with him to London and had a three-hour talk with the Duke of Kent “who then conveyed this to the King of England.” Rosenberg added: “One may assume that his instruction served its purpose.”