Daily Post - 16.06.1943, Blaðsíða 2

2
!) A I L v P n v *T'
DAILT POST
is published by
Blaðahringurinn.
EditoTs: S. Benediktsson.
A. L. Merson.
Office: 12, Austursiaræti. Tel.
3715. Reykjavík. Printed by
Alþýðuprentsmiðjan Ltd.
Wednesday, June 16, 1943
Raymond Clapper
, On The War
London:—When I was last
here in the* summer of 1941,
England was still shaken from
the blitz. The people had
stood up through the most ter-
rible mass punishment ever
visited on any population over
so long a period. And they then
expected the resumption of the
blitz as soon as the long winter
nights returned.
Buildings knocked down
during the blitz are still knoc-
ked down. Rows of damaged
houses stand vacant as they
did two years ago. But there
are none of the dangers now
that were then. Now the Nazis
are sending over isolated plan-
es often only by twos or threes.
In these nights runs over Lon-
don, the Germans may rob the
Britishers of some sleep, but
this is a cheap price to pay. —
Some coast towns have been
heavily raided in recent weeks.
But on the whole, England has
not felt German bombs on an
scale comparable to that of ’41.
Anti-aircraft guns are blister-
ing now where there was noth-
ing but vacant space two years
ago.
The change here is the Ame-
rican uniforms and American
civilians are seen everywhere.
You can’t walk into a hotel
lobby or the neighborhood of
the American embassy with-
out seeing old fr-iends just in
fron the United States.
Although I have only been
here two days, I sense the calm
confidence in place which was
not present two years ago. It is
) curious, though, how the Brit-
ishers are taking it in their
stride. You hear no boasting
and no dramatic language.
They seem to be still going at
it with quite workmanlike
determination.
The British public as well as
the American needs only to
remember what they did to
Warsaw, Rotterdam and Ply-
Now that many of the facts
Rudolph Hess Mystery
“Inside Storyu of How British Tricked
German Leader in Bid For Peace.
With the publication by an American magazine recently of
the inside story of Rudolph Hess’ famous flight to Scotland on
May 10, 1941, it now is possible to dispel part of the mystery that
has enveloped the craziest episode of the war since it was assigned
to the secret files of Allied governments two years ago.
have been made public, I am
at liberty to set down the ac-
counts of the Hess case which
I acquired while in London
late last year.
At least there can be no
harm in revealing those facts
that are in agreement with the
version published by the Ame-
rican Mercury and written by
an anyonymous but, according
to the editors of the Mercury,
“a highly reputable observer.”
GENERALS ASKED PEACE
Whatever or whoever his
sources are, they do not con-
flict with authentic accounts of
the Hess case available in the
British capital. And the story
they tell, impossible as it may
seem to many readers, is the
accepted version of the mysteri
requiring detailed preparations
mouth as well as London and
to recall the announced inten-
tion of the German airforce to
érase Allied cities. Neither was
Mussolini showing any chick-
en heart about the brutmeth-
ods of war and if he did less
damage than the Nazis, it was
only because he was not strong
enough to do more.
I can’t imagine that the Brit-
ish or American government
will listen to any sentimental
appeals to go easy on the Naz-
is or Italy in the air war. The
government shows no disposi-
tion to de part from its pres-
ent course. The American air
effortsare steadily .increasing
The two airforces are follow-
ing the prescription of round-
the-clock bomblng. This, plus
ground and naval action will
continue until the total de-
strudtion of the Axis powers is
accomplished.
We never heard any argu-
ments against the all out blitz-
es from the Axis people when
they had the initiative.
ous visit by Nazi No. 2 to the
lonely Scot countryside nearly
two years ago.
The story starts early in 1941,
when Hitler began to plan his
attack on Russia. It was to be
his largest and greatest blitz,
which could not be kept secret
from scores of German military
and civilian officials. Many of
these professionals raised ob-
jections to the Fuehrer’s schem-
es.
They told Hitler that so long
as Britain remained in the w'ar
the danger of an attack from
the British Isles had to be con
sidered, especially now that the
United States was going into
full war production. It was too
risky, they insisted, to concen-
trate the necessary huge Ger-
man Assn. in England. From
the beginning his feeler went
only as far as the British govern
ment wanted it to go.
HITLER COOKS UP SCHEME
Hitler agreed to try, and in
January, 1941, he sent out his
first peace feeler to a group of
influential Britishers who had
belonged to the Anglo-German
Fellowship Assn. in the days of
Chamberlain, the Anglo-Ger-
man naval pact and appeace-
ment. A diplomat acted as mes-
senger.
It is not clear, or at least
cannot be revealed whether the
diplomat knew he was being
tricked by the British secret
service or really thought he
had opened contact with form-
er members of the Anglo-Ger-
man Assn. in England. The
is re nevehr contacted any of 1
them. From the beginning his
feeler went only as far as the
British government wanted it
to go.
INSISTED ON AN ENVOY.
These negotiation were slow
and complicated. The British
secret service did an excellent
job of acting. They gave the
Nazis the impression that their
“friends” in England were open
minded on the subject of paece
but hesitant, and somewhat
fearful of being caught by their
own government.
By that . time it was early
spring, and Hitler’s generals
were pressing him to “get Eng
land out of the war” so that
This “inside story” of Rud-
olph Hess’ famous flight was
written by Irving Pflaum, for-
eign editor of the Chicago Tim-
es.
the invasion of Russia could
start on schedule. Der Fuehrer
then had one of his inspiritati-
ons. The man to impress the Bri
tish had to be a big Nazi, who
understood the “British psycho
logey”. It was decided that
Ruoolph Hess was the man for
the uob.
Hess did not know he was
dealing with the British gov-
ernment. He thought Kirkpa-
trick, who had served under
“Failure of a Mission” Hender-
son in Berlin, represented Ger-
many’s friends in Britain. He
was enthusiastic and poured
out page after page of Hitler’s
“generous peace proposals.” —
He considered himself the re-
presentative of a “generous
foe.”
GENEROUS TERMS
Because Hitler and his gener-
als needed peace in the west so
desperately, or so they blieved.
Der Fuehrer’s terms were gen-
erous indeed. Only Alsace.
Lorraine and Luxembourg
were to be held. hy the Ger-
mans. Everything, else was to
be evacuated, including Fran-
ce, Holland, Belgium, Norway,
Denmark, Yugóslavia and
Greece.
There would be no repara-
tions. Hitler would bring peace-
to the Mediterranean. Ger-
many would buy Allied war’
materials to use against Russia..
“to save humanity.”
Reykjavik ,
[Letter |
The birthday of Jón Sigurðs-
son, Iceland’s liberator, will be'
celebrated with atheltic events
and dances in ReykjavíkThurs-
day, June 17th. At 2 P. M.,
the Reykjavik band will give-
a consert in Borg Square, and at
2:30 P. M. Primier Björn Þórðar
son will make a short address-
from the balcony of the Alth-
ing house.
A recpetion in honor of Maj.
Gen. Bonesteel was held in the-
Alþing house by the Icelandic
government Friday, June 10. A
large group of Iceandic public-
officials and dignitarties were
present to honor the departing
commander of U .S. army im
Iceland