Flowers for von Neurath
Of the rewards reaped by the now aged and ailing Baron von Neurath in his diplomatic career, the martyr's crown seems the least congruous with his character. A conservative aristocrat with a reputation for moderation did not lack opportunity under Hitler to make a stand and suffer for it. But von Neurath's greatest indignity was to be eclipsed by Ribbentrop, and his recovery from that setback was typical. The Protectorship of Bohemia-Moravia was offered him because Hitler wanted someone with a vague name for decency in Germany to cover up the crimes, accomplished and intended, against the Czechs. Von Neurath took the post and held it without any obvious squeamishness. That is why he was sentenced- as a war criminal. He was released last week on compassionate grounds, the first to be freed of the seven major war criminals. It was supposed that Dr. Adenauer's interest in the case was a humanitarian one, and the Chancellor's friendly telegram of welcome need not have been otherwise interpreted. But President Heuss'k reference. in his own welcome, to the 'martyrdom of these last years' is another matter. There may well be, at this juncture, some rivalry between Chancellor and President for the prestige of introducing Federal Germany to a new phase of history. But competition in compliments to former war-criminals is not a healthy way of expressing that rivalry. All it can do is to arouse sleeping fears in the West and possibly assist the devious machinations in the East.
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