Hitler's Table Talk

POOR REPORTING BY FOREIGN MINISTRY
Under the name of "Ministry of Foreign Affairs", we are
supporting an organisation one of whose functions is to keep us
informed of what is happening abroad—and we know nothing.
We are separated from England by a ditch thirty-seven kilometres
wide, and we cannot find out what is happening there !
If one studies the matter closely, one realises that the enormous
sums swallowed up in the Ministry are sheer loss. The only
organisation to which we grant foreign currency—the others
are paid only in paper—should at least get some information
for us. By definition, the diplomat is such a distinguished being
that he does not mingle with normal beings. As for you, you're
an exception, because you're seen in our company! I wonder
in whose company you'd be seen if...
This attitude is typical of the carrière. Diplomats move in
a closed circle. Therefore they only know what is said in the
society they frequent.
When someone talks big to me about a "generally held"
opinion, I don't know what he means. One must separate and
analyse the current rumours. In addition, one must know the
opinions held by one group or another, in order to appreciate
the relative value of these elements of information. Few
people can foretell the development of events—but what is
possible is to give information concerning the opinion of suchand-such
a group, or such-and-such, or that other. In your
trade, you measure people by the height of their heels. If one
of our diplomats were to put up at a third-class hotel, or travel
in a taxi, what a disgrace! And yet it could be interesting,
sometimes, to sit at the bottom of the table. Young people talk
more freely than the mandarins.
Hewel replied: "But, my Fuehrer, all that's out of date, now!"
You defend your shop with a devotion worthy of admiration.
Why support such a numerous staff at the legations ? I know
what diplomats do. They cut out newspaper articles, and paste
them together. When I first came to the Reich Chancellery, I
received every week a file stuffed with old clippings. Some of
them were a fortnight old. Via Dr. Dietrich I knew already by
the iznd of July what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were
going to tell me on the i5th!
IOI