Secret Armies | Page 8

refusal would probably mean losing routine Foreign Office
and other government department news sources. The more than average
British citizen doesn't know even today how his government and
"independent" press took orders from Hitler.
In the latter part of January, 1938, the French Intelligence Service, still
not knowing of the secret deal Halifax had made, learned that Hitler
intended to invade Austria late in February and that simultaneously
both Italy and Germany, instead of withdrawing troops as they had said
they would, planned to intensify their offensive in Spain. When the
French Intelligence learned of it, M. Delbos, then French Foreign
Minister, and Eden were in Geneva attending a meeting of the Council
of the League. Delbos excitedly informed Eden who, never dreaming
that Great Britain had not only agreed to sacrifice Austria and betray
France but was also double-crossing her own Foreign Minister,
telephoned Chamberlain from Geneva.
The Prime Minister listened attentively, thanked him dryly, hung up,
and promptly telephoned Sir Eric Phipps, British Ambassador to France.
Sir Eric was instructed to get hold of M. Chautemps, the French
Premier at the time, and ask that Chautemps instruct Delbos to stop
frightening the British Foreign Secretary. But all during February the
French Intelligence kept getting more information about the planned

invasion of Austria and the proposed intensified offensive in Spain, and
relayed it to England with insistent suggestions for joint precautions.
Eden in turn relayed it to Chamberlain who always thanked him.
The date set for the invasion was approaching but Eden was still in
office and Hitler began to fear that perhaps "perfidious Albion" with all
her overtures of friendship might really be double-crossing Germany. If
England could send a special emissary to offer to sell out Austria and
double-cross her ally France, she might be quite capable of tricking
Germany. Simultaneously the Gestapo stumbled upon information that
the British Intelligence had reached into the top ranks of the German
Army and was working with high officers. Hitler, not knowing how far
the British Intelligence had penetrated, shook up his cabinet, made
Ribbentrop Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and prepared for war in the
event that England was leading him into a trap.
There are records in the British Foreign Office which show that Hitler,
before invading Austria, tested England to be sure he wasn't being led
into a trap. Von Ribbentrop informed Eden and Chamberlain that Hitler
intended to summon Schuschnigg, the Austrian Chancellor, and
demand that Austria rearrange her cabinet, take in Dr. Seyss-Inquart
and release imprisoned Nazis. Hitler knew that Schuschnigg would
immediately rush to England and France for aid. If they turned Austria
down it was safe to proceed with the invasion.
The British Foreign Office records show that Schuschnigg did rush to
England and France for support, that France was ready to give it, but
that England refused, thereby forcing France to keep out of it.
While these frantic maneuvers were going on, the Astor-controlled
Times and Observer, the Nazi and the Italian press simultaneously
started a campaign against Eden. The date set for the sacrifice of
Austria was approaching and Eden had to go or it might fail. The public,
however, was with Eden; so another kind of attack was launched.
Stories began to appear about the Foreign Secretary's health. There
were sighs, long faces, sad regrets, but Eden stuck to his post in the
hope that he could do something. On February 19, Hitler, tired of
waiting, bluntly demanded that he be removed, and with the newspaper

campaign in full swing, Chamberlain "in response to public opinion"
removed him the very next day.
The amiable Lord Halifax was appointed Foreign Secretary.
Pro-fascists like A.L. Lennon-Boyd, stanch supporter of Franco and
admirer of Hitler and Mussolini, were given ministerial posts.
The Austrian invasion was delayed for three weeks because of the
difficulty in getting Eden out. When the news flashed to a startled
world that Nazi troops were thundering into a country whose
independence Hitler had promised to respect, M. Corbin, the still
unsuspecting French Ambassador, rushed to the Foreign Office to
arrange for swift joint action. This was at four o'clock in the afternoon
of March 11, 1938. Instead of receiving him immediately, Lord Halifax
kept him waiting until nine o'clock in the evening. By that time Austria
was Nazi territory. There was nothing to do but protest; so Lord
Halifax, with a straight face, joined France in a "strong protest." It was
not until a week after Austria had been absorbed that the French
Intelligence Service learned the details of the Halifax deal and finally
understood why England had side-stepped the pleas for joint action and
why the French Ambassador had been kept cooling his heels until the
occupation of Austria was completed.
From Austria Hitler got more men for his army, large