Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-07-20
By Joy Franklin

North American Newspaper Alliance.
Now that DR.. Ernst Sedgwick
'Putzi" Hanfstaengl has broken 81
lence in Germany about his wartime
mission in Washington, 1t can be
revealed that the man who helped
Hitler put together the Nah move
ment in Germany in the early 1905
helped President Roosevelt to take
it apart in the early 1940s,
Sumner Welles, who was Under
secretary of State at the time. paid
tribute in his introduction to my
book, The Catoctin Conversation"
to the character and value of Putzi's
contribution and to the fact that
both he and President Roosevelt
we're won over from skepticism to q
belief in Hanfstaengrs sincerity.
The story itself is simple, though
1t has been yelled in wartime Sc
crecy until now. The only previous
revelations were made in order to
block leaks in the security regula-
lions that surrounded the project
and for which the American ofdcialS
involved were not responsible.
Hanfstaengl fed from Germany
In 1887 when he broke with Hitler.
He took refuge in England. When
war broke out in 1899, the British
interned him under the not-un-
natural suspicion that he had been
planted as a phony refugee by the
Nazis. Subsequently he was shifted
to British prisoner camp
in Canada. where he still was de-
tanned at the time of Pearl Harbor.
'Toan" to U. s. Arranged
During that period was directing
the activities of small political in
teiligence unit for Mr.. Roosevelt.
He thought well Of the idea Of
bringing "Putzi," whom he had
known at Harvard, to Washington
as consultant on Nazi political
psychology and personalities. in
terviewed Hanfstaengl in the prison
camp and he agreed to come to
washington If it could be arranged. /
The State Department was charged
with conducting the negotiations
with the British authorities for his
transfer on loan" to the United
States.
He arrived early in July of 1912
and was lodged in one Of the forts
near Washington. Our agreement
stated that he should have the sta
tus Of an enemy officer on parole.
When this proved difficult to man
age at the fort, the project was
shifted to the old Gunnell estate at
Bush Hill, Va, about six miles south
east Of Alexandria. There he re-
sided until his subsequent return
to British custody in September,
1914.
His status was difficult to deter
mine. I was responsible to F. D. r.
for the direction Of the entire
project, including liaison. A high
powered radio set was installed and
Putzi listened to the Nazi propa-
ganda and submitted regular reports
which were transmitted to the White
House and other interested agen-
cies, including, of course, the Brit
ish Embassy.
Putzi regarded himself as an ad-
wiser to the President on NaA psy-
chology. His advice seems to have
been sound. The Government, how
ever. was not equipped to take ad-
vantage Of political insight into the
psychology Of our Axis enemies and,
as Is often the case, the tendency
was to discount opinions that were
at variance with our hopes. This
was particularly true Of his warn
ing that an early peace with Ger
many would not come.
Feared Political Usage.
Eventually, British insistence that
he be returned to them and the fact
that Putzi's fund Of information was
largely exhausted, caused the Presi-
dent to decide-against strong con-
trary advice-that he be sent back
to England. There was also def
mite reason to believe that the Han .
fstaengl story might be used in the
political campaign Of 1914, as part
of the pressure to persuade us to
turn him over to his British captors.
During part of his stay at Bush
Hill. his son Egon, an American
born citizen who had enlisted in
our Army 10 months befare Pearl
Harbor, served as secretary and
guard" Later, Egon went to the {
South Pacific and served in New !
Guinea, the Philippines and Korea,
winning a commission as first l
lieutenant Of Infantry. Discharged I
from the Army last year, Egon now '
is living in New York with his '
mother.
"Putzt" was poorly rewarded for