"'4. Some inducement will have to be offered to Russia to bring her into a Russo German alliance. Germany has considerable interests in the three Baltic States, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It is proposed that we should sacrifice these interests to Russia, upon which she would have no difficulty in regaining possession of these three ex Russian provinces.
" 5. Poland should be dealt with next. Parts of Poland are by right German and other parts by right Russian. Danzig and the Polish Corridor are definitely a part of Germany. The Poles persecute their German citizens in these territories which gives us every justification for reabsorbing them into the Reich. Poland may go to war rather than agree to surrender them peaceably, but if she does she will have such a bad case that we shall be able to brand her as a warmonger before the world. Russia and Germany will then act in concert, invade Poland and divide the country between them.
" 6. Finland is another portion of the old Tsarist Empire which should be reabsorbed into it. The Finns are an independent people who are making a success of their small country and they may give Russia a certain amount of trouble; but Finland has always relied on German support. If we cut that off, Finland will go the same way as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
" 7. While Russia deals with Finland we must exert pressure upon the Scandinavian countries to prevent their going to Finland's assistance. When the Russians have advanced their frontier across the Mannerheim Line there will no longer be any danger of the Scandinavians combining against us, as they can be threatened by Russia and ourselves; simultaneously. Sweden is strong enough to require a separate operation so she should be left for the time being, but Norway and Denmark can be taken over together. Sweden will then be entirely isolated, and so in no position to resist us whenever we consider it convenient to take control there.
"'8. Before going down into the Balkans it is essential that our right flank should be secured on the North Sea, otherwise Holland and Belgium may become alarmed at our operations and for their own protection invite Britain and France to attack us through their territories while we are occupied elsewhere. This reasoning also applies to any suggestion of attempting to absorb Holland separately. The Low Countries must, therefore, be overrun in one operation. At this point we must certainly anticipate a conflict with Britain and France, but having already established ourselves in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Holland and Belgium, we should have ample resources and nothing to fear.
'9. Switzerland, like Sweden, having been almost encircled by the powers of the Pan German Federation, can be absorbed at any time, but should a major war eventuate at Stage 8, Switzerland should be next on the list so that we can outflank the Franco British front and drive straight down towards the Mediterranean.
" `10. A sufficient interval will now have elapsed since our take over of Austria and Czechoslovakia for us to have properly established ourselves in those countries; so our next move should be to exert pressure on Hungary and to absorb her also.
" 11. If over a period of five or six years we have succeeded in absorbing Austria, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary and a part of Poland, and Italy has absorbed Albania, either without provoking war or through 'a series of short wars, Britain will not fight again until directly threatened. However, our next stage, being Yugoslavia and Greece, involves our coming down into the Mediterranean, so it is highly probable that this will provoke Britain, for the first or second time, to conflict, but as the masters of the whole of Northern and Central Europe our position will then be very strong. Yugoslavia will be sandwiched between German Austria and Italian Albania and Italy must now be forced into the open. With Yugoslavia in Italy German hands, Greece will fall to the Federation naturally by pressure from Yugoslavia and Italy.
12. Our advance into Hungary will bring us to the borders of Rumania. Bulgaria is already a Russo German sphere of influence. She will be instructed to demand the return of the Dobruja. Russia will put forward her equally good claim to Bessarabia and on behalf of Hungary we shall claim the last province of Transylvania. Entirely encircled and threatened on all sides, Rumania must succumb and join the Federation, of which Bulgaria will also automatically become a part.
" 13. To secure ourselves in Europe the Near East should also be brought under our domination. If our advance to the Mediterranean provoked Britain to conflict Russia must attack Iraq to draw pressure from us if we are waging a major war in the West. If we have accomplished Stages 8 and 11 by peaceful means Stage 13 is another step in which we shall probably encounter armed resistance, as in Iraq we shall for the first time be attacking a territory which can be considered as a part of the British Empire. Hence, for this operation we must provoke trouble in India simultaneously. India is ripe for revolt and German propaganda must ensure a rising there which will occupy a large portion of the British forces. Should a major war eventuate in the Near East Turkey should either be persuaded to come in with us or be overrun by attacks from Russia and Bulgaria in the same operation.
"14. Supported by Italy, Spain will now take over Portugal and by entering the Federation close the Western end of the Mediterranean.
"15. Pressure from us exerted through Turkey and Iraq, and by Italy through Libya, should now secure Palestine and Egypt, closing the Eastern End of the Mediterranean.
"16. France must now be cut off from her sources of strength in Africa by the taking over of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia from bases in Spain, Italy and Libya.
.17, France will now be the only remaining European country outside the German Federation. If we have succeeded in separating her from Britain she may surrender peaceably. If we have not done so, however, war is bound to result at this stage; but by that time our resources will be so great that the destruction of the British Empire is certain.
'It is impossible to forecast at which stage of these operations Britain will decide to fight, but if we can negotiate No. 2 successfully there is good reason to suppose that she will not feel herself forced to declare war until we go into Holland and Belgium at Stage 8 or even until her interests in the Mediterranean are directly threatened by Stage 11.
" `If at any stage before the last Britain does decide to fight every effort must be made to prevent other countries from becoming involved, so as to limit the area of hostilities. Immediately we have subdued whichever of the smaller nations has refused to be peaceably absorbed, and whose resistance has caused Britain to declare war upon us, our next objective must be to secure a peace by negotiation which will leave the remainder of Europe as far as possible unaltered from what it was at the cessation of hostilities. Then, after an interval for recuperation the next stage must be undertaken; until all stages have been successfully completed either by diplomatic pressure or, if necessary, by a series of short wars.
" `It is impossible to forecast the dates for any of these stages as some may merge into others and shorter or longer periods be required for recuperation between stages, according to the intensity and duration of the series of short wars Germany may be called on to wage before the major conflict, but it should be possible to complete the whole series of operations in from ten to twelve years. Whatever the time taken, five years will be required for reconstruction after the defeat of the British Empire and the whole of Europe having been united under German leadership. The German Federation and Japan will then launch a joint attack on the United States of America in order to subjugate that distant but dangerous English speaking people. This final campaign will, within twenty years, leave the German race dominant throughout the world.'"
Gregory laid down the paper and looked round at the others. "You see how immensely important this document is."
"I see that it would have been important if we'd discovered it before the war," Angela answered, "because if the British Government had had it they would have known what Hitler's intentions were; and that every time he declared he had no more territorial ambitions in Europe he was lying in his dirty teeth. But fortunately they got on to his ga
me quite early in the programme and decided to fight when he'd only got as far as Stage 5 wasn't it? Anyhow, the partitioning of Poland." "That's right; Stage 5," Gregory nodded.
"Well, then," she continued, "now the war is on, that's all that matters. The rest of the plan can be considered as a washout."
"They have got as far as Stage 6, really," Erika put in: "since the Russians have carried out the next move allotted to them and attacked Finland. Gods knows what has happened to the Finns since the beginning of January, but I should think the Red Army must have forced the Mannerheim Line by now from sheer weight of numbers. If so, the principal crook is probably preparing for the next step in the programme."
"That's it," Gregory agreed. "Number 7 is the absorption of Norway and Denmark. If Stalin has done his stuff the Germans may have arrived in Copenhagen and Oslo while we've been sleeping our heads off here."
"Britain and France won't be sitting still doing nothing, though," Freddie put in. "If Germany has moved into Norway and Denmark the Allies will establish a Scandinavian front."
Gregory's thin mouth twitched in his old cynical smile which had returned to him with his memory. "Yes. If the countries attacked ask us to come to their assistance and after the Germans have seized every port, railhead and air base worth having."
"If we are not invited in, then, we'll just have to sit and watch the Nazis putting two more countries, with all their resources, in the bag."
"That's it. And if the neutrals do ask for help we'll send it of course. But our Expeditionary Force will have to land at miserable little fishing villages with only one rickety, wooden pier apiece and totally unfitted for military bases, while the German planes bomb them to Hell."
"That puts the Allies in a pretty nasty fix, then."
"It certainly does; since they're still mugs enough to observe the law of nations. If I had my way I'd scrap every pre war treaty in existence until the war is over and go into these places before the Germans can get there whether the neutrals liked. it or not."
"But we couldn't do that," Freddie exclaimed in horror.
"Couldn't we 1 " Gregory's cynical laugh echoed through the room. "By God we could? And if we had the guts to do it we'd soon put paid to Hitler and all his crew. Regard Europe as a village, the nations as its householders and Britain and France as its two strongest and wealthiest inhabitants. What would they do if one of the villagers went mad? They would appoint themselves sheriffs and issue a declaration on the following lines
"'A homicidal maniac is at large and we have taken on the extremely dangerous and expensive job of catching him, for the safety of all concerned. As he is breaking into people's houses, damaging their property and murdering their occupants, to facilitate our catching him we hereby assume the right to enter any house without a warrant and give notice that we will prosecute anybody who supplies him with food or shelter with the utmost rigour of the law.' "
"That would be ratting on all we've said about entering this war to protect the rights of small nations," Freddie said dubiously, "and we'd lose the sympathy of all the neutrals."
"Not at all We should only be suspending international law for the duration of the conflict. Directly it was over we would restore every country's independence and respect their rights just as we have always done in the past. As for the sympathy of the neutrals, what is it really worth? Nearly all the small European nations are under Germany's thumb already; and the United States is not going to enter the war against us because we take the law into our own hands. As a matter of fact they would all become very much more proBritish if only we showed some guts and that we really meant to get down the bully of whom they're all so terrified. They all want to keep their liberties but they kow tow to Germany because they think we're weak and effete; and they're scared stiff that we might make a negotiated peace which would leave Germany free to give them a dusting up after the war, if they don't do just what she tells them now."
"I don't see how such a declaration would help you to win the war, though," Erika remarked.
"Don't you?" Gregory laughed, "I do. The Siegfried Line is too strong for us to attack it across the French frontier without appalling losses; but they're still only digging it along the Luxembourg and Belgian borders. If we chose to walk into the Low Countries one fine night we might outflank the main line and carry the war into the enemy's country. They would only put up a formal show of resistance, then join us, because they hate the Nazis as much as we do. We could scrap this childish nonsense about territorial waters and put British into the Norwegian fjords, where the strain on the crews would
be much less in bad weather, and we could cut off the iron ore supplies which come down to Germany through Norwegian waters. We could do the same thing along the coast of Yugoslavia and stop the supplies of bauxite coming up the Adriatic from Dubrovnik to Trieste. With the Turks' consent we could send a part of the Mediterranean Fleet through the Dardanelles into the Black Sea and cut off the oil tankers that bring supplies from Batum to Constanta and Varna before they go through to Germany and believe you me, it's oil that is going to win this war. That's why perhaps, years hence it will be fought out in the Near East. There are a thousand and one things which we could do to give the Nazis hell, if only we went into this thing with knuckledusters instead of kid gloves."
"Do you think they'll stick to their programme now Britain and France have come in?" Freddie asked.
"As far as Scandinavia and Holland and Belgium are concerned, yes. A German landing in Norway would be a clever move to draw a big proportion of our troops away from the central theatre of war, so let's hope we don't fall into the trap. But once they invade Holland and Belgium we'll have a real
chance to get at them, so they may be compelled to alter their plans. It's going to be awkward if they follow it to Stage 9 and drive through Switzerland while Italy attacks France from the south; but the need for oil may force them to attack Romania first."
"Perhaps," said Angela. "But where is all this speculation getting us?"
"Nowhere," Gregory grinned. "So let's get back to the business. This document is of immense significance for two reasons. Firstly, although the Allies declared war on Germany when she had reached only Stage 5 of her programme, it shows her true intentions. I'm prepared to swear that I got it direct from Hermann Goering. Copies of it, with my affidavit of that fact, ought to be sent to every neutral Government to inform them that Germany had deliberately planned to enslave the whole of Europe. Even if some of them doubt its authenticity it may cause them to take steps against the Nazi fifth columns which are undermining their powers of resistance and to reconsider their position a bit more carefully. Secondly, it is the penultimate paragraph which is of such vital importance. I'll read it to you again.
" If at any stage before the last Britain does decide to fight every effort must be made to prevent other countries from becoming involved, so as to limit the area of hostilities. Immediately we have subdued whichever of the smaller nations has refused to be peaceably absorbed, and whose resistance has caused Britain to declare war upon us, our next objective must be to secure a peace by negotiation which will leave the remainder of Europe as far as possible unaltered from what it was at the cessation of hostilities. Then, after an interval for recuperation, the next stage must be undertaken; until all stages have been successfully completed either by diplomatic pressure or, if necessary, by a series of short wars.'
"Now do you see what I'm driving at?" Gregory said grimly. "This is not only the outline of the German plan to put the whole of Europe in her pocket; and having achieved that, to secure world dominion; it shows how she intends to do it. She does not mean to exhaust herself by another giant effort such as she made in 1914 1918, and to exhaust other nations by dragging as many of them as she can in as her allies. It is a far cleverer and much more dangerous scheme. It has worked, too, in four stages out of five, as the Russo German Italian bloc have already conquered Austria, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia w
ithout having had to fire a single shot. For Poland Germany has had to fight but, as we all know, as soon as Poland had been overrun Hitler opened a peace offensive. He didn't pull it off, but if a stalemate continues in the West as time goes on everybody will get bored and dispirited; among the people of France and Britain there will be a growing feeling of resentment at having had their lives thrown out of gear for a war that isn't a war at all."
"That won't be the case if Hitler goes into Holland and Belgium," Freddie remarked. "It will be war with a vengeance, then."
"True; and if Goering is overruled this plan may be abandoned for an attempt to force a quick decision. But say they do attack the Low Countries, what happens next? The great Armies will clash on the Yssel and the Maas. There will probably be a few weeks' terrific fighting and the Allies will stem the German advance on the Albert Canal and the please. They'll dig in there and unless the Germans drive through Switzerland there will be another stalemate, perhaps for years as there was in the last war. Then, after a time, Hitler will start another peace offensive. People will be bored and war weary. His fifth column in London will get busy among the cranks and idealists that support organizations like the Nordic League and the Peace Pledge Union and an agitation will he started on the lines that Hitler isn't such a bad fellow really. They will be saying: `He would never have attacked Poland if the Poles had let him have Danzig back. Now that he has rectified the wrongs and they were wrongs done to Germany by the Versailles Treaty he's not asking anything else and he's quite prepared to make peace. So why should our young men have to spend the best years of their lives in battle dress, and why should we be burdened with this incredible taxation which is sending us all bankrupt, when we could quite well make a decent peace by negotiation?'
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