London, 23rd May, 1939.
 
 
Dear Mr. Messersmith:
 
 
I meant to write to you since a long time, but I have been
unable to do so as long as I was staying in Holland and Switzerland
during the past six weeks. It gives you perhaps an idea of how
far the infiltration of the Nazi Secret Police, at least in Holland,
has gone if I tell you that my friends in Germany informed me
before going to Holland that I could only stay there and see
visitors from Germany if my visit to Holland was kept secret from
the Dutch police and that I should mail no letters from there.
The name of the most important police officers working together
with the Nazi Secret Service has been even notified to the Dutch
Government who, however, does not dare to take action in the
matter. Of course otherwise as regards military preparation
Holland is now up to date and the whole country as well as
Switzerland reminded me of the aspect of the Flanders plain three
or four miles behind our front line before the British offensive
began in the summer of 1917.
 
 
I was able to send a few lines to Mr. Wheeler-Bennett through
safe channels which I asked him to forward to you.
 
 
         In Holland and Switzerland as well as here I have seen a
lot of people coming from Germany, some of them very shrewd
observers, others who have the best connections with leading
Nazi people. To be quite frank, I must confess that I am unable
to come to any definite conclusion about the future policy of
the Nazis. Nobody was able to explain to me why there were
cadre manoeuvres on the Dutch frontier in February, and why some
 
 
most