Evening star., 1945-11-05
Hitler Joyful at Duce's Failure
To Aid Austria, Nozi Files Show

/ o AId Austria,
(The tolIotuing Is another story
on the Aasc1linss OF Austria as
told in the recorded secret tele-
phone conversations OF Nasi off,
cials recovered from the ruins OF
BerIin.)
By DANIEL DE LUCE.
Copyright, 1945, by the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Nov. 5.-When Adolf
Hitler learned that Mussolini was
not going to interfere in the rape
of Austria the Fuehrer did oratorical
fiipflops as ecstatic as the jig he per-
formed when France surrendered.
Admitting he would have been In
a "frightful military position had
other powers" protected Austria,
Hitler declared over and over that
he would never forget" the magma
nimity of II Duce.
The King Of italy sent a weak hint
10 the German government that he
would like Austria's 100000 Jews to
be allowed to escape, but Reichs-
marshal Goering was blusteringly
firn-as always when loot was in
volyed-and declared "the Jews can
20. but they must leave the money.
Openly detying the world, secretly
eringing, the Nazis wrote their own
condemnation for the historical rec
ord in the sordid Austrian affair
Goering's Air Ministry functionaries
took down every word as the inter-
national telephone lines buzzed dur
ing the crisis.
Then at Goering's own request
they bound the whole record in a
neat folder labeled secret archives
and sent 1t to the Reichsmarshal as
his personal copy.
Hesse Was CO. Between.
This record discloses that Prince
Philip of Hesse was the go-between
In the conversations between Ber-
lin and Rome. Prince Philip, who
married Princess Mafalda of Italy
in 1925, came into the hands of
the Allies last spring when he was
found in a camp of political hostages
held by the Nazis. Princess Ma
falda, eldest daughter of the King
of Italy and also a hostage, died
of wounds from an Allied bombing
In the brothel of Buchenwald con-
centration camp. The Nazis placed
her there for the inmates to care
for her wounds.
Prince Philip was in a key spot
for the Fuehrer's plans. Mussollnl
had baked the first plot against
Austria at the time of the murder
of Chancellor Dollfuss in 1884 when
he belligerently marched troops to
the Austrian border and threatened
to intervene against the Nazis.
But now Mussolipi had fallen out
with France and England over
Ethiopia and Spain and spurned
their efforts to align a solid front
against Germany.
Hesse called Hitler from Rome at
1925 pm. on Friday, March IL, just
81 minutes after the Fuehrer had
been informed that the Nazi puppet
in Vienna, Arthur Seyss-Inquart,
had agreed to a Goering-dictated
telegram requesting German troops
to march in and prevent blood
she'd"
The Austrian government OF
Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg had
resigned as the result of a two
hour ultimatum from Goering.
Seyss- -Inquart had been instructed
to step into the vacuum and seize
power.
Already orders had been issued to
140,000 German troops on the Aus
trian border to begin marching at
dawn, and Hitler himself was to be
On the way in a few hours on a
triumphant return to his native
country.
Already Hitler was meditatlng on
secret plans against Czechoslovakia.
Duce Sends Regards.
The prince opened the conversa-
toni have just come back from
the Palazzo Venezia. The Duce &C
cepted the whole thing very friend
ly. He sends you his regards. The
thing had been told him from Aus
tria-Schuschnigg gave him the
news Monday. He (MussolinD said
1t would be complete impossibility
a bluff, one couldn't do it. He was
answered that it was unfortunately
already arranged thus and one could
not change it, Then Mussolini said
Austria would now be a finished
concern for him"
Hitler-"Then please tell Musso-
lini I will never forget him for this. >
Hesse-"Yes. indeed"
Hitler - Never, never, never
Whatever happens I am now ready
to make different agreement with
him - In case the Austrian thing
is settled I am ready to go with
him through thick and thin"
Hesse-"Yes, indeed, my Fuehrer
Hitler-"LiSten, shall make every
arrangement now-I feel I am ne
longer in a. frightful position a;
would have been militarily the cast
for us had I got into conflict Yor
may tell him that I am really
heartfully thankful, I will never
never forget him for this. I viii
never forget him for this"
Hesse-"Yes, indeed, my Fuehrer.
Hitler-"Beautiful!"
Goering Talks to Hesse.
Hesse called back the next day a.
1886 pm, while German troop: