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David
Lloyd George meets Adolf Hitler
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Lloyd George’s Impressions Of Adolf Hitler
January
23, 2014
Nazi Regime | Hitler’s Hold On People
| Desire For Peace
From
“The Post’s” Representative
London, September 23, 1936
In
an interview in London, the Rt. Hon. David Lloyd George summed up the
impressions which he had derived from his recent visit to Germany.
“Germany,”
he said, “does not want war, but she is afraid of an attack by Russia, and is
suspicious of the Franco-Russian Pact. I have never seen a happier people than
the Germans, and Hitler is one of the greatest of the many great men I have
met.”
“I
am fully convinced that the German people today earnestly desire peace.
Undoubtedly, Germany fears an attack by Russia, and in the same way Russia
fears an attack by Germany, and I believe that the fear in each case is quite
genuine.”
Asked
how he reconciled Germany’s desire for peace with the recent attack on the
Soviet, he replied:
“How
do you reconcile Russia’s professed desire for peace with her years of attack
upon Germany? The fact is they have been abusing one another like pickpockets
for years.It has been a sort of slanging match but I think that today people
are rather apt to overlook what is said over the Soviet radio, and to pay
attention only to German attacks upon Russia.”
People Worship Hitler
“Germany does not want war. Hitler does not want war. He is a most remarkable personality, one of the greatest I have ever met in the whole of my life, and I have met some very great men.”
“Affection
is a quite inadequate word to describe the attitude of the German people
towards Hitler. It amounts almost to worship. I have never seen anything like
it. Some men I met who are not Nazis told me that they did not know what the
country would have done without him. They are inclined to blame Hitler’s
supporters for some of the things which they do not approve, but there is no
whisper of criticism of Hitler. It is just like our motto, “The King can do no
wrong.'”
Mr
Lloyd George was asked, “How do you reconcile that attitude towards Hitler with
the suppression of the trade unions and the freedom of expression of opinion?”
“I
cannot explain it,” he replied. “I am merely stating the facts, but you must
remember that the Germans are a highly disciplined people, and have always been
so. They are far more accustomed to discipline than we are, and I think that
the restrictions in existence in Germany at the present time would have a far
greater effect upon people of this country than upon Germany.”
A Great Misfortune
“I have always thought, and still think, that the persecution of Jews in Germany has been a great misfortune. But Germany is not the only country that has persecuted Jews. We must not forget the pogroms in Russia and in other European countries.”
Giving
his impression of the German people of today, he said: “I have never seen a
happier people. The feeling of depression and gloom which has oppressed them in
post-war years has completely disappeared. The are today a very gay people.
That is not merely my own opinion. Since I returned from Germany I have had
letters from Englishmen who have been in the habit of visiting Germany on
business or holiday, and they all confirm my own view.”
“One
of the foremost impressions which I derived from my visit was the universal
desire to remain on terms of closest friendship with Great Britain. I found
that among everyone I met, from Hitler down to the working men with whom I
spoke. Everywhere Britain is held in deepest respect, and there is a profound
desire that the tragic circumstances of 1914 should never be repeated.”
Economic Recovery
Mr. Lloyd George was profoundly impressed by the economic recovery of Germany. “We hear a great deal,” he said, “of the efforts that Germany is making in the direction or re-armament, but little is said of the colossal schemes that are being pushed through for the development of the internal resources of the country, and the improvement of the conditions of the working population.”
“I
saw a good deal of the latter, and I was enormously impressed by the boldness
and beneficence of the German plans. The Germans are reclaiming over 4,000,000
acres of land which was either completely waste or barely cultivated at all.
They are building millions of houses for their working population, and
everywhere they are constructing settlements for their town workers outside the
city boundaries, with gardens attached to each house.”
“The
new roads which they are constructing are magnificent. By these and similar
means they have reduced unemployment from 6,000,000 to 1,000,000 in three and a
half years. Whatever we may think of Hitler and the present regime, that in
itself is a very great achievement.”
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