London: The Odyssey Begins
29
Hitlers had been allowed to rule the world—in Germany,
Italy, and England—we wouldn't be in the fix we are now,
because each would have understood the viewpoint of the
other. . . . Germany is bound to come back strong," Canning added.
He was an early member of the BUF, and in a booklet,
"The Spirit of Fascism," he had written:
. . . The spirit of freedom runs right through the Fascist
State, and affords to rich and poor a guaranteed liberty to
proceed along the chosen road to life. . . Inherent in the
doctrine of National-Socialism [is] the spirit of humanity. . . .
Only because of its immense humanity, only because of its
mystical craving for "absolute union" of the nation, does
Fascism proclaim its intolerance to those forces whi ch prevent
the attainment of this spiritual urge. Fascism has the capacity
to love. . . . Tolerance [is the] soapy water of humanity.
This was the measure of the man who had bought Hitler's
bust.
We got around to the Jews. "If I were in Palestine, I'd give
my men twenty-four hours to do with the Jews as they wished.
Silly humanitarian ism," he said as an afterthought.
Canning said he knew Anna Wolkoff, friend of Tyler Kent.
Canning also revealed that he was financing a book on Hitler's
life. "Couriers" were bringing material direct from Munich
and returning with instructions. As I was leaving, Canning
said: "Will you mail these letters for me from London?"
"Of course."
We parted warm friends and agreed to meet again in his
London apartment. On the train to London—without too
many qualms of conscience—I opened a letter he had addressed to Professor S. F. Darwin-Fox. Later, in the quiet of my
hotel room, I photographed, sealed, then mailed the letter.
Canning had written: "I am surprised that a thousand Jews
have not been hanged in London during the last forty-eight