SECRET ARMIES
24
Street requesting that stories about Nazis and Hitler be toned
aid the government," and most of the once proud and
down
"to
independent British newspapers established a
what amounted
"voluntary
cen
an order from Hitler relayed
sorship"
s Foreign Office. The
through England
explanation the news
to their staffs was that the world situation was too
papers gave
at
to
to refuse the government s request and, besides that
would probably mean losing routine Foreign Office and
other government department news sources. The more than
critical
refusal
average British citizen doesn
ment and
"independent"
t
know even today how
his
govern
press took orders from Hitler.
In the latter part of January, 1938, the French Intelligence
still not knowing of the secret deal Halifax had made,
learned that Hitler intended to invade Austria late in February
and that simultaneously both Italy and Germany, instead of
Service,
withdrawing troops
as they
had
intensify their offensive in Spain.
said they would, planned to
the French Intelligence
When
M. Delbos, then French Foreign Minister, and
Geneva attending a meeting of the Council of the
League. Delbos excitedly informed Eden who, never dreaming
that Great Britain had not only agreed to sacrifice Austria and
betray France but was also double-crossing her own Foreign
Minister, telephoned Chamberlain from Geneva.
The Prime Minister listened attentively, thanked him dryly,
hung up, and promptly telephoned Sir Eric Phipps, British Am
bassador to France. Sir Eric was instructed to get hold of M.
Chautemps, the French Premier at the time, and ask that Chau-
learned of
Eden were
it,
in
temps instruct Delbos to stop frightening the British Foreign
Secretary. But all during February the French Intelligence kept
getting more information about the planned invasion of Austria
and the proposed intensified offensive in Spain, and relayed it to
England with insistent suggestions for joint precautions. Eden
in turn relayed it to Chamberlain who always thanked him.