Christopher Isherwood: A Personal memoir by John Lehmann Read Free Book Online Page A

the French police, mild difficulties really, but they were exaggerated wildly, Heinz being a Boche, and used as an excuse to refuse to prolong his  permis de s é jour in France. His troubles had also been communicated to the Belgian authorities, who, as you know, aren’t exactly pro-German either, and the net result is that we can’t return to Belgium either, except for three or four days. We are, therefore on the advice of our lawyer, waiting here until the Mexican business has been put through (which really looks like being very soon: the papers are in Bruxelles and they are only waiting for the return of the Mexican Ambassador, who is away) because as soon as Heinz has ceased to be a Boche it seems that the Belgian authorities will regard his case more leniently. Tiresome, isn’t it?
         
    It was a great deal more than tiresome, as Christopher knew in his heart of hearts. He must have realized that the trap was closing in on Heinz. I have no personal knowledge of the last moves that led to the final disaster, but in Christopher and His Kind  he blames himself for his fatalistic attitude towards what was happening. The Luxemburg authorities had no doubt received from their French colleagues the latest list of German undesirables, and informed Heinz that he could not stay under their protection any longer. The only thing to do was to apply for another Belgian visa, but that could only be done, in the time available, in Germany. Heinz must therefore take the risk of going to the nearest German town, Trier as it happened, where there was a Belgian Consulate. So Christopher left for Brussels, and the lawyer drove Heinz to Trier. Everything appeared to be going smoothly, the visa was obtained, but at the last moment the German police struck. Heinz was arrested as a draft-evader and a criminal who had indulged in homosexual practices. Christopher had told him to put all the blame on him if the worst occurred, and plead guilty to the least culpable of homosexual offenses, mutual masturbation, with a degenerate Englishman who had seduced him. The court accepted this plea, and Heinz was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by a year’s labour service and two years in the Army. He was lucky not to be sent to a concentration camp, as many homosexuals had already been sent. Christopher did not see Heinz again until after the war, but was left with a feeling of profoundest misery, frustration and guilt.
    From Brussels he wrote to me a few days later:
         
    As the result of a lot of complicated misfortunes and idiotic decisions which I simply haven’t the heart to describe to you just now, Heinz is sitting in prison at this moment charged with attempted desertion from the army and moral offences. If he is lucky, he’ll get off with three to four months, followed by camp and army service.
    There’s nothing I can do to help, except pay for cigarettes and extra nice food.
    I feel that, at this time, you are one of the very few people I would like to be with. Would you mind if I came to Vienna in the fairly near future - in a week or two, perhaps?
    Write to me at 70 Square Marie-Louise, as soon as you can, about this. I have to go to London for a day or two, and Paris after, but shall be back early next week. Best love.
         
    But Christopher did not come to Vienna, though I would have been very happy to see him there. He and Wystan had just been commissioned to write a book about the Far East and the Chinese-Japanese war, and Christopher came to realize that a great deal of work had accumulated that would have to be dealt with before they left. In a letter apologizing for having been unable to make up his mind about a visit to Vienna, he listed it all:
         
    If possible, I want to get the new play, On the Frontier , produced before Christmas. Then there is ‘The North-West Passage’, which I finished this morning: it will mean lots of business interviews