London: The Odyssey Begins
39
I am sorry that I was unable to make the grade today and
link up with Green to see you, but this is press day and I have
been very rushed. I shall make a point, however, of contacting
Green in the next day or two—I have a tentative mission on
which to see him—and will hope to absorb from him something of what you have been able to tell him.
With regrets,
Yours sincerely,
(signed) Arthur J. Heighway
Managing Director and Editor
I called on Heighway immediately. By this time I had
learned that he had written an editorial in the September 25,
1947, issue calling attention to the Protocols of the Elders of
Zion. Although admitting that a Swiss court had declared the
Protocols to be a forgery, Heighway commented: "That
'forger' seems to have been a prophet of no mean order." I
wanted to know why he had written this, and whether Green
had put him up to it.
My interview was short, for which I was glad. Heighway was
youngish and prematurely gray. He impressed me as smug
and self-satisfied. I came to the point and asked him about
the Protocols.
"Green gave me a copy," Heighway said, "I don't know if
they arc truthful or not. That is not the issue. All I know is
that they fit into present conditions. Maybe some parts are
faked, but there is enough truth in them to make them worth
while."
Heighway's attitude toward a document that had been the
Nazis' favorite instrument betrayed an amazing lack of reportorial integrity in a man holding an influential position in
British journalism. I was shocked.
"Arc you in touch with the Arabs?" I asked.
"Why, yes. I met Shawa Bey recently at luncheon. Let's
see . . ." Heighway raked through a sheaf of calling cards
and found what he was looking for. "Here it is—Izzed-een
Shawa Bey."