Word: wohlthat
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Dates: during 1939-1939
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...Wohlthat was said to be impressed with Britain's changed "firm attitude" toward further aggression and to have expressed his fear of war. Secretary Hudson agreed, and then, as one economist to another, expounded the theory that only drastic financial measures could better the situation. Before they had talked for many hours, they had drafted an agreement, the gist of which was that in return for Adolf Hitler's good behavior Great Britain would see that Germany had access to world markets and to raw materials. To help the Third Reich turn its swords into plowshares an international...
Storm. The Wohlthat-Hudson discussions were supposed to be secret and confidential. Dr. Wohlthat returned to Germany to report to Field Marshal Göring, but scarcely had he left before the plan-and garbled versions of it-had leaked out all over the world, much to the Secretary's annoyance and embarrassment. Early this week a sizable Parliamentary storm was coming up, and the British public, in no mood for further appeasement, was definitely angry...
While Mr. Hudson claimed that he had talked to Dr. Wohlthat only in his "private, personal capacity," the suspicion grew among Laborites, Liberals and non-appeasing Conservatives that the Chamberlain Government had far from re formed. "Is the Government still yearning after appeasement?" angrily asked Labor Leader Arthur Greenwood. "Is it prepared to try to buy off Hitler by sacrificing Danzig and perhaps Poland itself? Is it toying with the idea that it can, by sweet reasonableness and financial aid, persuade Germany to beat her swords into plowshares...
Early this week Secretary Hudson, badgered by the press and politicians, was once reported on the point of resigning. The Prime Minister, tranquil as ever, appeared before Parliament to explain. The Hudson-Wohlthat discussions were "private" and "unofficial" and the Cabinet knew nothing about them in advance, the Prime Minister reiterated. The Secretary and the foreign trade expert were simply discussing how international confidence could be restored, and naturally they mentioned international trade, barter agreements, exchange restrictions, import quotas. But there was "nothing unusual" in the talks and certainly no loan was proposed...
Leak. Although Mr. Chamberlain did not know how the story of the conversations could have leaked out, the angry, outspoken Mr. Hudson had an idea that it was none other than Dr. Wohlthat who had broken his confidence. If that were so, Dr. Wohlthat could scarcely have done a better day's work for his Führer. For it is just such appeasement rumors that weaken Polish, French and general European confidence in Britain's promises to stop further German aggression...