A South African of German origin, Pirow has a great liking for present-day Germany. At home, he is jokingly called ‘our Führer’. A man of great ambitions and strong will. His idée fixe is that a universal revolt of ‘blacks against whites’ is nigh, bringing the destruction of the only citadel of ‘European civilization’ in Africa, i.e. the Union of South Africa. This basic idea defines Pirow’s worldview and politics. A few years ago, at a parade of military school graduates in Johannesburg, Pirow made a speech in which he stated that the arch enemies, with whom the officers must be ready to fight, were the African aborigines. In the Union of South Africa he was and remains an advocate of a policy of ruthless suppression of blacks. It is beyond doubt that even today Pirow is a key figure among the Boers, and there are grounds to expect that after Hertzog’s

James Barry Munnik Hertzog, South African political leader; assistant chief commandant of the Orange Free State forces in the Boer War, 1899–1902; National Party (from 1914) MP for the Smithfield constituency, 1907–40; prime minister of the Union of South Africa, 1924–39.

death he will become leader of his party and prime minister.

Pirow flew out of South Africa three weeks ago and embarked on a ‘political tour’ of European capitals. His itinerary covers Lisbon, Burgos, London, Berlin, Brussels, Rome and Paris, i.e. all the countries with colonies or dominions in Africa. The purpose of his tour was to pave the way for a colonial deal with Germany.

In what form? Pirow’s project can be reduced to the following. Togo and Cameroon should be returned to Germany, but not Tanganyika and South-West Africa (the latter should not be given away on any account). Angola (or at least part of it) and a certain part of the Belgian Congo should be given to Germany as compensation for keeping Tanganyika and South-West Africa within the British Empire. Germany will thus obtain a compact ‘African empire’ on the Atlantic coast in equatorial Africa. This solution of the colonial problem strikes Pirow as almost ideal. The point is not so much that Versailles will thus be liquidated forever and ‘Germany’s honour’ fully retrieved. Far more important

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is the fact that German fascism will gain a firm foothold on the African continent and will surely manage to establish order in Africa, safeguarding the whites against any kind of revolution contemplated by the aborigines. In Pirow’s view, German rule must be established precisely in equatorial Africa, because it is there that ‘negro nationalism’ has flourished more than anywhere else under flabby British, French and Belgian governance, and it is there that it must be struck a heavy blow to the head. Incidentally, there is one further very serious argument in favour of this solution of the ‘colonial problem’: friends are friends, but all the same it would still be better to keep Germany at arm’s length from the boundaries of the Union of South Africa!

Chamberlain is ready to sacrifice and is indeed sacrificing the vital interests of the British Empire for the sake of the narrow class interests of the bourgeois elite that he represents. Pirow is ready to sacrifice the interests not only of the British Empire, but also the very independence of the Union of South Africa for the sake of the chauvinistic class interests of the bourgeois elite which he represents. What vivid examples of the profound decay of capitalism in our time!

Leaving for this tour, Pirow set himself two tasks: (1) to persuade Britain, France, Portugal and Belgium to make the sacrifices demanded by his plan, and (2) to persuade Hitler to find the plan satisfactory. Pirow was out of luck in Lisbon: the Portuguese made it clear that they would never agree to any colonial sacrifices whatsoever. Things went better for him in London: after all, Pirow’s thoughts accord with those of Chamberlain. But then Jewish pogroms broke out in Germany, the atmosphere changed radically, and even the PM himself had to admit that it was a quite inappropriate moment to discuss plans for the ‘colonial gratification’ of Germany. At the same time, Daladier made a statement to the effect that France would not give up its colonial territories, while Smuts made a speech in South Africa in which he threatened war against anyone who attempted to assault South-West Africa.

Yesterday Te Water said to me: ‘Pirow’s mission is in limbo. True, he has decided not to change his itinerary and is therefore leaving for Berlin tomorrow. Then he will go to Brussels, Rome and Paris, but it is clear to everyone that after the recent events in Germany it is out of the question for her to be given any territory inhabited by another race.’

…Out of the question… Completely or for the time being? Te Water meant ‘completely’, but I don’t believe it. This critical moment will pass, the present wave of indignation will ebb, and Pirow, together with Chamberlain and his ilk, will once again set about weaving their treacherous plots.