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

748 DER FUEHRERsharpness from many sides; without doubt, National Socialism hadstupidly driven Germany's sister-country, Austria, once so close andfriendly to the Reich, into the arms of the Italians. Among the critics ofHitler's Austrian policy was Rohm; in fact, he went beyond criticismand made it known in Vienna that he disapproved of Hitler's attacks onAustria. From this point on, Hitler evidendy began to feel that Rohmwas betraying him.Amidst all the plans, conspiracies, and armed preparations carried onin various places and more and more clearly orientated toward theexpected great event, the death of the old man of Neu-deck, there wereopportunities for dubious actions, actions that were treasonable or atleast bordered on treason. Von Schleicher, a good friend of Francois-Poncet, the French ambassador, had already under Bruning used hisgood offices to prepare Paris for the coming change in Germany, andHitler was certainly acquainted with these questionable activitiesbecause he himself had drawn the greatest advantage from them. Now itbecame known that during a session of the League Council in Geneva,Louis Barthou, the French Foreign Minister, had said in a privateconversation that it was futile to negotiate with the present Germangovernment because it would soon be replaced by another. It was easyto draw conclusions from such a report, although difficult to check, letalone prove them — and Hitler never gave a single piece of evidencefor the accusations he made in connection with the events that were tofollow. True, some people involved in the affair admitted that during themonth of May, Francois-Poncet met a varied group of Germanpoliticians in the home of a Dutch financier: but subsequent eventsshowed that this meeting was harmless.One of the German politicians present had been von Schleicher, whodid not need any Dutchman to introduce him to Francois-Poncet;another was Gregor Strasser, who had been out of politics for a year anda half and was active as an adviser on labor relations for a chemicalcompany and — a point which was not immaterial to him — earningmuch more in this capacity than ever before in his life. The thirdpolitician present had been Rohm. The meeting seems to have beenimposed on all these three men rather than desired by them. Strasser hadbeen compelled to promise his em-