-3-
Throughout our talk "our friend" intimated but
carefully avoided haying so directly, utilizing such
phrases as "You will understand, Mr. Heath, that as a
loyal German there are certain things that I cannot say
or discuss with foreigners" that if the war went on
there was a possibility of the disappearance of the regime.
He remarked that should he, contrary to his expectations,
be invited to come to the States, that he was
certain that Hitler would permit him to, although Ribbentrop
would object. He referred to the latter's enmity,
remarking that it dated from the time, some years ago,
when he had entertained Rlbbentrop shortly before the
latter's accession to the Foreign Ministry. He was
accompanying Rlbbentrop to the door and terminated an
argument by saying to him, "The difference between you and
me, Mr. Rlbbentrop, is that my final allegiance is to
Germany and not to a single chief of state," to which
Ribbentrop replied: "That is where you are wrong. You
have not to bother (kuemmern) about allegiance to anybody
or anything except to Hitler."
After this anecdote he went on to pay his respects
to the Three Powers Pact, which he said was a diplomatic
blunderof which even an apprentice should not have been
guilty. It was against Germany's interests and even more