German province, I request permission to read out a phone
conversation just conducted by” and here he pointed at the
culprit “the director of the Pastoral Emergency League.”
Niemöller, crew cut and lean-featured, stepped forward in
military fashion as his name was mentioned.
“Read it out,” invited Hitler.
“We’ve done our ‘mine-laying,’ ” declared Göring, seem-
ingly reading Niemöller’s words. “We’ve submitted our memo-
randum to the Reich president. We’ve fixed him good and
proper. Before today’s conference on church affairs, the chan-
cellor’s going to be hauled before the president and get his
comeuppance the last rites!”
Hitler glared at Niemöller. “Do you really think that by
backstairs intrigues you can drive a wedge between the Reich
president and myself, and threaten the very foundations of the
Reich?”
Niemöller attempted to reply he had been motivated, he
said, only by his “cares for the Church, for Jesus Christ, for the
Third Reich, and for your German people.”
“Kindly leave ‘caring for the Third Reich’ to me,” snapped
Hitler.
Göring read out more of the alleged Forschungsamt inter-
cept. “We ladled so much holy oil over him, [meaning Hinden-
burg], that he’s going to kick that bastard out.”
Hitler was speechless at this language it was the language
of the conning tower, not the pulpit.
Niemöller found his voice and fired off a flustered denial,
but this only angered Hitler more. (“Result,” recalled Göring
eleven years later, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes: “Pain-
ful collapse of stout brethren!”) The extent of his impromptu
falsification is evident from the archives of the Reich Chancel-
lery, which contained the actual and very rare Brown Page