Evening star., 1940-04-16
BY the Associated Press.


before Germany moved against
Poland Adolf Hitler declared he
"had no such scruples as Wilhelm
II" and that he would fight with
out mercy up to the extreme limits"
DR.. Karl NJ Burckhardt has reported
to the League of Nations.
In a report to the League Council
on his famous interview with Hitler
at Obersalzburg on August II, Dr.
Burckhardt, League high commits
sioner for Danzig, portrayed the
Nazi chieftain as alternately boast
ing of Germany's armed might and
insisting on his desire for peace.
Hitler said that although the Ger
man army leaders were cautious"
during the Czecho-S -Slovak crisis in
1898, he had to restrain them in the
Polish crisis.
DR.. Burckhardt, who had gone to
Hitler in an attempt to arbitrate
the problem of Danzig, which was
absorbed by Germany after the out
break of the war last September, re.
ported the Chancellor told him
eternal discussions on war were
folly and that they brought nations
to state of madness"
Needed Space in East.
The report quoted Hitler as say
ing of Russia that Germany knew
them better than the others and
that hundreds of his officers had
served in the Russian Army and
knew the latter had no offensive
power"
The Fuehrer then told DR.. Burck-
hardt, the latter said, that the
essence of the matter was that
Germany needed space in the east
for timber and colonies in which to
raise wheat.
Hitler said that, while the Ger
man harvests in 1888 and 1899 were
excellent, this was due mainly to
the use of chemical fertilizers and
that the land soon would be worn
out.
The report quoted him as having
added that he never would allow
the German people to be dragged
down into such want and famine"
as they had endured between 1914
and 1920.
On DR.. Burckhardt's remarking
that the western powers certainly
will be ready to settle this problem
by negotiation, the report said:
Herr Hitler then asked why, in
that case, they had stirred up the
Poles?
Acceptable Offer to Poles.
Il replied that myself was in
position to know that England and
France were exercising a moderating
influence on Warsaw. Herr Hitler
assured me he had made an ac-
ceptable offer to the Poles last
March, after eliminating the danger
of war constituted by Czecho-Slo-
vakia on his southeastern flank.
He wished to put out two other
flrebrands-Memel and Danzig-but
what was he to do if, every time he
took a step. he found England and
France in his path?
Herr Hitler added:
eve are not acting as we did
in Czecho-Slovakia. There a huge
danger had to be removed: the solu-
ton was passable one and provided
more satisfactory than usually was
believed abroad. Calm reigns in
Bohemia and the peasants and
workers are content with their lot,
as they always were when they were
offered simplified solutions. All Of
the difficulties came from the intel
lectuals.'"
DR.. Burckhardt said Hitler praised
the excellent conditions" of the
Czech war materials and the quality
Of the Czech officials, whose orderly
methods filled the German officers
with admiration.
Different From Poles.
I'm all respects, Herr Hitler said,
they were different from the Poles,'
the report continued. The plans of
their staff were precise and COM
pletelv different from the plans of
the Polish staff, which then were
in his possession.
"The technical organization of the
Polish Army was inadequate and
much surprise was felt in German
circles at Poland's impudence. Last
year the generals had been very
cautious, but this time it was he
who had to restrain them"
At the end of the interview Hitler
said, according to DR.. Burckhardt,
that "a reasonable solution must be
found and that, if the Poles left
Danzig alone, he would cease any
interference in the Free City; that
he could wait on the condition that
the German minority in Poland
ceased to be molested.'
After the interview, DR.. Burck-
hardt said, he returned to Danzig,
which he found being turned into
IAN armed camp"
The report continued:
Herr Won Ribbentrop's (Joachim
Won Ribbentrop, German Foreign
Minister) journey to Moscow COM
pletely upset the situation. From
this time forward intransigeant plans
were put forward from the German
side.
1T may we'll be thought that,
during the decisive fortnight which