Confidential report from John W. Dulanty to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)¹
(No. 69) (Secret)

Adverting to your minute of 18th November² about ex Chancellor Schuschnigg, I give below Mr. MacDonald's confidential reply, dated 1st December, to my inquiry:

'You wrote to me on the 19th November³ about the position of ex-Chancellor Schuschnigg.

I have made enquiries and I find that the latest information in the Foreign Office is that, at an interview which took place at the end of October between Herr Hitler and Herr von Schuschnigg, the latter insisted that he should be tried before a Special Court which was shortly to be constructed in Vienna, although Herr Hitler was ready to waive a trial on certain conditions (the nature of which is not known to us). It is also reported that the charges against Herr von Schuschnigg will not be pressed with any great vigour and that it is probable that he will eventually be sent to some private house in the country in North Germany where he will be able to live quietly and freely. The persons against whom charges are most likely to be pressed are Herr Schmitz, the former Mayor of Vienna and Herr Hornbostel.

As regards the question of representations to the German Government, Sir Nevile Henderson⁴ took up the case of Herr von Schuschnigg and other Austrian political prisoners with Field-Marshal Goering early this summer, and a little later Lord Halifax also raised the matter with the German Ambassador in London⁵. Shortly before the crisis, it was suggested to Sir Nevile Henderson that he should make a further appeal on behalf of these persons, but he considered the moment inopportune, and it was decided to do nothing for the time being. After the Munich settlement the question of an appeal was again considered here, but, before any action could be taken, there occurred the new Jewish persecutions and the German Press campaign against this country which have destroyed the favourable atmosphere that is an essential prerequisite to any such action. Indeed the feeling in the Foreign Office is that, the official German attitude towards this country being what it is at present, any intervention on the part of the United Kingdom Government on behalf of Herr von Schuschnigg or other Austrian prisoners would be likely to do them more harm than good.'