English Translation

18 A 20 Although there is scolding everywhere on England and its blockade, the anger is almost greater on the high dignitaries of the SA and the SS, who provide themselves with brutal use of their power in the best way. "This is precisely the people's community", said me bitterly a bank official. In Cologne especially the Gauleiter Grohé is hated. At the black table of a Cologne big business. At the beginning of October, a picture of the Gauleiter, cut out from the "West German Observer", under which the following words stood: "One people, one leader and one kingdom, before the law, everyone is equal. Grohé is hungry as a model for the people." Already in the afternoon, four Gestapo officials appeared, but their attempts to investigate the culprit have, as I was told, remained fruitless. Such sayings go from mouth to mouth. The above-mentioned friend had also seen a sheet thrown off by English pilots, which contained all the details of the monstrous foreign assets of the supreme leader's garrison. Despite his great restraint, I had the impression that the American journalist was more believed than the attempts at denial by the German propaganda service. The newspapers publish obituaries about the fallen. They cut them out, talk about them in a close circle, and everyone fears about the fate of those in the field. X. and Y. are completely darkened in the evenings. One lives in the fear that the spectre of war could draw nearer. The questions addressed to me showed how discredited the amt- lic- e intelligence service is. I was not able to report much news, however. In a large restaurant in X. I listened to the transmission of a report of the submarine commander, who sunk the English aircraft mother ship "Courageous". I was amazed at the low impact on the audience. One listened bitterly and almost pressed; there was no trace of the enthusiasm that the radio broadcaster repeatedly challenged. I had the impression that the roll of war propaganda and mood-maché had already expired. before it had yet started properly. In the first half of October hardly any man spoke of the "victory" about Poland. These eight days in West Germany have given me an impression. Of course in the negative sense. I found no enthusiasm for war, not much confidence in the rulers of the Third Reich, all the more concern, fears, fears.