16 MARCH 1951, Page 16

Hitler's Visitors

SIR,—In his review of Dr. Paul Schmidt's Hitler's Interpreter. Mr. Francis Gower makes no reference to what is surely a most astonishing revelation on page 37. Dr. Schmidt writes as follows:-

" During this year (1935) of Anglo-German rapprochement I had again no work for Hitler on an important occasion. On July 15th he received a delegation of the British Legion at the Chancellery, conversing for nearly two hours with Major Fetherston-Godley and the five Englishmen accompanying him. ... At a breakfast to the English visitors just before the reception Major Fetherston-Godley had said that the English had only once fought against the Germans, and in the opinion of the British Legion this had been a mistakc- a mistake which would not be repeated." (Italics mine.)

In view of this utterance, one would like to know, firstly, what claim Major Fetherston-Godley had to speak on behalf of the entire British Legion at this interview; secondly, whether his speech was reported in the British Press at the time ; and thirdly, whether he and his five colleagues on this occasion hold similar views in regard to the recent conflict. Some explanation seems called for in the matter.—Yeurs