Page 81 - Was Hitler a Riddle?

68 The British Diplomats

Often, when Henderson ran into difficulties with the Foreign Office, he
would appeal to Wilson for support. 129
Wilson’s rise to this influential position reveals much about the quality
of political leadership in Britain in the years from 1937 to 1940. Wilson had
moved up the ladder in the civil service in good measure because of his ser-
vility to his superiors. He knew how the bureaucracy worked, but his famil-
iarity with foreign affairs was meager at best. “like his chief [Chamberlain],
he spoke no foreign language, had rarely been outside england, and had
no experience in foreign affairs.” He admitted as much, but did not think
that it was a handicap. “Foreigners are people, just like trade unionists,” he
said. “Chamberlain was a practical man, i was a practical man. What more
did we need?” a fervent supporter of the prime minister’s foreign policy, he
denigrated his opponents as the “Churchill—eden—Jewish clique.” 130
Henderson arrived in Berlin in mid-March 1937 and within a few weeks
was embroiled in his first conflict with the Foreign Office. On June 1, he
delivered a short address to the deutsch-englische Gesellschaft (German-
english society) in which he vowed to do his utmost to improve relations
between Germany and Great Britain. that was a reasonable theme for the
occasion, and if he had confined himself to that subject no one would have
objected. But he chose to touch on other, highly controversial matters: he
discussed two misunderstandings, one prevalent in Britain and the other in
Germany. in his own country, few people understood National socialism.
if they did, “they would lay less stress on Nazi dictatorship and much more
emphasis on the great social experiment which is being tried out in Ger-
many. Not only would they criticize less, but they might learn some useful
lessons. it is regrettable to see how much concentration is applied to some
trees which appear misshapen in english eyes and how little appreciation
there is of the great forest as a whole.” the Germans, on the other hand,
were convinced that “Great Britain is attempting to hem Germany in on ev-
ery side.” He assured his listeners that, on the contrary, the British admired
German efficiency and culture and had no intention of placing any restric-
tion on the country. the english wanted only peace. and he was certain
that all controversies between the two could be settled if both sides showed
good will. He ended with the following startling words: “Gentlemen, i
ask you to rise and drink with me the health of the Reichskanzler [that is,
Hitler] and of the German nation.” 131 in Britain, this speech and especially
the toast came under heavy criticism, but Henderson always claimed that
he had done nothing wrong since he was free to be “indiscreet.” 132
the foreign secretary was not satisfied with that explanation. two days