Hitler - a poor fish

In 1941 the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin published a piece by the popular writer Sir Hugh Walpole who had known Adolf Hitler before the war. It is a reminder about the elusive nature of  political evil and how it may build a following and force its way into power from the most unpromising beginnings.

SIR HUGH WALPOLE KNEW HITLER
SEEMED "POOR FISH" CERTAIN TO BE KILLED

Did I ever know Adolf Hitler? Oddly enough, I think that I did better than I know some of my real friends, writes Sir Hugh Walpole, in "John O'London's Weekly." It was in the early twenties during two successive summers at Bayreuth. I stayed there for more than two months, summer after summer with Lauritz Melchior, who was at that time singing the leading tenor roles in the Wagner operas.

I was also a friend of Winnie Wagner, wife of Siegfried Wagner's only son. Many strange stories there about that odd adventurer, but the only thing that matters here is that Adolf Hitler, fresh from his Munich prison, passed some time at Bayreuth.

He was, and is, a great friend of Frau Wagner, and he had, and he has, a passion for Wagner's music. I sat in a box with him on the occasion when Melchior made his debut in "Parsifal." I have never since heard him sing as he did that day. The tears poured down Hitler's cheeks.

During the second of these summers I was with Hitler on many occasions, talked, walked and ate with him. I think he rather liked me. I liked him and despised him, both emotions which time has proved I was wrong to indulge. I liked him because he seemed to me a poor fish quite certain to be shortly killed.

He was shabby, unkempt, very feminine, very excitable. He resembled, I though then, mediums I had seen at Conan Doyle's flat. There was something pathetic about him, I felt. I felt rather maternal to him! He spoke a great deal about his admiration of England and the need of her alliance with Germany.

I thought him fearfully ill-educated and quite tenth-rate. When Winnie Wagner said he would be the saviour of the world I just laughed. I was wrong about one thing-his evil. I didn't detect it then. I thought him silly, brave and shabby-rather like a necromantic stump orator. I didn't realise at all his one supreme gift-the gift that has brought him and his country where they are today-his gift for knowing instinctively the "spot" in any man's character to attack-the weak spot, the spot that is ungenerous, greedy, mean, traitorous, lecherous, and, above all, cowardly.

Oh, yes, he is a remarkable man all right! He is among the evil, slinking, betraying Bagmen of history. Why didn't I put poison into his coffee in Wahnfried?

I was wrong about one thing-his evil. I didn't detect it then says Walpole, but at that time was it there to be detected? The potential for enormous evil was clearly there, but presumably Winnie Wagner didn't see it either.