Evening star., 1945-09-07
(Last of a Series.)

Walter Schellenberg, chief of
German intelligence. continues his
account of what went on behind .
the scenes as the end of the war
approached: :.
IT cannot describe the events of
the following days in detail. Hit
ler's birthday passed uneventfully.
On April 81 Count Bernadotte had
another meeting with Himmler.
About this time Himnller COM
planned that his health was not
good, and I noticed how nervous
and anxious he was.
'Schellenberg,' he said on one
occasion, 7 am filled with horror at
the thought of what is now coming
Another time he told me what
he would do when power was In his
hands.
HE requested me the same eve
ming to propose name for the new
party which it had been suggested
he should found. Hinmler then took
up the question of the liquidation
of Hitler, but only in vague illusions.
Count Sees Himmler.
"T1fe night of April 1924 there
was another meeting between Count
Bernadotte and Himmler in Lubbock,
when he asked the count to present |
an offer of surrender to the western
powers, to be transmitted through
the Swedish government. He said
then that it could only be a ques-
ton of one, two or at most three
days before the Fuehrer ends his
dynamic life in this dramatic
struggle
According to my calculations, the
Fuehrer died on April 27, and it is
my definite belief that 1t was by an
injection. However, I do not know
who gave 1t to him.
Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz's
nomination as Hitler's successor
took place on the 29th. There are
good grounds for believing that
it was Reichsleiter Martin Borman
who made the nomination. 1t was
the last move against Himr1ler.
Himmler realized that capitulation
was unavoidable and for this ,ea-
son he was pushed aside.
When Himmler and I arrived
at Doenitz'S headquarters at Plon
on May I found there very
tense atmosphere. 1t was soon
apparent that Count Schwerln Won
Krosigk held the same views as
Himmler and I, while Doenitz, with
Gems. Keitel and Jodl, was not
at that time prepared to give up
Norway without a fight. They
pointed out that the German COM
mander in Norway, Col. Gen. Franz
Boehme, was in very strong stra-
tegic position.
Negotiations Continued,
THE negotiations continued.
Doenitz hesitated for long time.
In the end I was appointed envoy
with instructions to negotiate in
Stockholm the surrender of the
troops in Norway"
Thus far Schellenberg
In my travels in Germany in the
spring of 1945, I received much
information about the leading fig
ures of the Third Reich from
sources which must be regarded
as reliable. These leaders were
lacking in all moral concept, in all
loftiness of mind.
In the last act, there they were,
with their hideous pasts, desperately
intriguing among themselves, while
at the same time endeavoring to seek
shelter behind each others backs,
cowardly, undecided. irresolute. The
last act of the Third Reich lacked
all dignity or majesty.
Let us take first the Fuehrer.
Already Admiral Doenitz has intro
duced the legend that the Fuehrer
died the death of hero, fighting |
for his people on the last barri-
cades of the Occident against
Bolshevism.
The Fuehrer did not die like a
hero. 1t can be regarded as quite
certain that he was murdered. 1t
is true that he kept his leadership
until the very last days of the Third
Reich. But he had long before lost
all capacity for taking any initia-
tive. All he could do was to veto
decisions made by his lieutenants.
Was Figure of Terror.
To his encourage he had become
a figure of terror in almost the
same degree as he was to the world
at large. If any one displeased
him, he Immediately had an order
for execution prepared.
At this final stage, Adolf Hitler
was physically and psychologically
a branded man, in all probability
marked by that disease which alone
can explain his insane acts and