called seeing Himmler and Göring talking this day). For “two or
three hours,” Göring recalled, they talked on the delicate topic
of how to make contact with the enemy. Himmler smugly re-
vealed that the Swedish Count Folke Bernadotte had recently
visited him, and was actually returning for a further meeting
that evening at Hohenlychen, the SS clinic. “You know,” boasted
Himmler, “he must be the man sent by Eisenhower to negoti-
ate.”
Göring felt sick. “I can’t believe that,” he said woodenly.
“Don’t take offense, but I doubt that they’ll find you acceptable
as a negotiating partner.”
“Sorry to contradict,” smiled Himmler, “but I have incon-
trovertible proof that I am considered abroad to be the only
person capable of maintaining order.”
At this, Göring shut up. Perhaps Himmler knew more
than he. As they parted, the Reichsführer asked him rather too
insistently whether he, Göring, would appoint him chancellor in
the event that anything now happened to the Führer. Göring
mumbled that that would not be possible since constitutionally
both offices were now combined.
“Herr Reichsmarschall,” persisted Himmler delicately. “If
anything should prevent you from succeeding the Führer say
you are eliminated (ausgeschaltet) can I have the job?”
Göring gulped. Eliminated? He recalled that after the July
bomb plot Popitz had testified under interrogation that
Himmler was planning to replace Göring in the line of succes-
sion, and that upon reading this he had asked permission to in-
terrogate the condemned man himself: But the Gestapo hang-
man had got to Popitz first. “My dear Himmler,” he replied un-
easily, “we shall have to wait and see. That will depend upon cir-
cumstances. I can’t see for the life of me what might prevent me
from taking up the office.”