'During the Hitler years Frank Buchman stayed at the Hotel Esplanade in Berlin. One day we ate lunch together. In the afternoon he was to have a conversation with the SS Chief Himmler, who had invited Dr Buchman to come and see him.

'The conversation, of course, became a complete fiasco. Himmler could not, as he intended, exploit the "absolute obedience" of the MRA* people towards God for the benefit of the obedient slaves of the SS and the Nazis.

(* The abbreviation of Moral Re-Armament, the name by which Buchman's work became known from 1938 on.)

'Frank Buchman was then much burdened by the development in Germany under Hitler, for he was deeply attached to this land and this people.

'He said during the meal at the Esplanade in Berlin, "Germany has come under the dominion of a terrible demoniac force. A counter-action is urgent. We must ask God for guidance and strength to start an anti-demoniac counter-action under the sign of the Cross of Christ in the democratic countries bordering on Germany, especially in the small neighbouring countries."

'But the Hitler demonism had to spend its rage. Neither Frank Buchman nor any other person could prevent that.'8

Confirmation of this account has come from a number of younger colleagues who went with Buchman to the interview. According to them, Himmler came in with some of his henchmen, gave a propagandist account of Nazism and left, without giving Buchman or his friends a chance to speak. Buchman's immediate comment was, 'Here are devilish forces at work. We can't do anything here.' In fact, he never did meet Hitler, nor did he attempt to do so thereafter.

Within three months of Buchman's interview with Himmler, in November 1936, the Central Security Office of the Gestapo produced the first official document warning their network against the Oxford Group as 'a new and dangerous opponent of National Socialism'. The operative portion of the document ordered the intelligence service to give the closest attention to the work, tendency and influence of the movement, and in particular to infiltrate every gathering and team meeting, to watch the productions of the Leopold Klotz Verlag of Gotha - a firm which had published Oxford Group books and pamphlets - ascertaining who received the firm's literature, and to find out which men and women in public life were interested in the ideas of the Oxford Group.9

Buchman sailed for America on 19 August. Arriving in New York he held a press conference at Calvary House, from which a number of journalists sent off routine stories. The reporter of the afternoon paper, the New York World-Telegram, arrived late and asked for a special interview. With several of his colleagues in the room, Buchman answered the reporter's questions. Those present were amazed next afternoon to read the front-page banner headline and the lead paragraphs of the story in the paper:10

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