Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

430 DER FUEHRERquestioners almost as to friends. 'I admire the calm and assurance withwhich the English nation is combating its difficulties,' he said. 'Thisnation has no nerves and in this it is setting the world an example.'Germany, he said, expected the support of England in her demands bothfor the cancellation of reparations and an international adjustment ofarmaments. England, he declared, has a strong sense of justice. Besides,he had distinctly perceived 'that England herself is beginning to feel thepressure of the present situation. . . . The economic and politicalpressure from Paris is becoming intolerable.' Unfortunately, Rosenbergwent on, there were people in England who advised Germany to reachan understanding with France under any circumstances; but there wasalso another British opinion, 'which says that it is now time for Englandas well as the rest of us, to offer resistance.'It was on this section of British public opinion that Germany mustrely, said Hitler in his speeches and in open letters to Bruning; she mustdirect her policies toward this England; and Italy, even America, wouldstand by Germany's side. In December, 1931, he received the visit ofsupporters from the Sudetenland, members of a minority grouplet ofthat German minority of which Hitler had said that Germany mustconstantly incite them to rebellion against the Czechoslovak state, notbecause they had a right to independence as Germans, but becauseCzechoslovakia was allied with France. He made them a speech tellingthem to be of good cheer: National Socialism would soon come topower in Germany and then it would take them under its powerful wing.The world situation, he said, already looked promising enough: 'InEngland at present a significant shift in public opinion is taking place.France with her military and financial policy is making herselfresponsible for all the world's wrongs' — he meant, because she wouldnot cut her armaments or cancel German reparations. 'In America andItaly, as well,' Hitler continued, 'the anti-French tendency is growingfrom day to day, yes, we might even say from hour to hour. The untenableposition of the world market literally forces the other states intoa defensive front against the former beneficiary of the present state ofaffairs, and that is France.' But by this, he hastily added, he did notmean war. For, he declared, 'a war of European states