* * Herr Franz von Papers,, who has been recalled
from Ankara to account for himself to Herr Hitler, must be reckoned the most brilliant diplomatic failure of recent times. Military Attaché at Washington during the last War, he was turned out of the country, while America was still neutral, for pro- moting the sabotage of munition-plants ; a reference, in one of his intercepted letters, to " those idiotic Yankees" did not help matters. Made Chancellor in 1932 with the idea of keeping Hitler out, he ended by presenting himself before President Hindenburg with Hitler on January 3oth, 1933, as party to an agreement by which Hitler secured the supreme power he has wielded ever since. Sent to Austria in 1934 to persuade the Austrians to agree cheerfully to an Anschluss, he achieved no result except the forcible annexation which Herr Hitler was most anxious to avoid. Despatched to Ankara a few months ago to keep Turkey neutral at any cost, he is summoned home on the day when Turkey has declined to come to terms with Germany's associate, Russia, and is preparing to sign treaties with Britain and France. Altogether a notable record. If only Herr von Papen could be sent as special envoy to Moscow.
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