Enoch Arnold Bennett (1867 - 1931)

Arnold Bennett was one of the many artists that Joseph Retinger surrounded himself with. They met in Paris in the areas that both Bennett and Retinger liked to frequent.

Arnold Bennett was the man that brought Retinger in contact with Joseph Conrad.

In the first World War, Arnold Bennett was appointed to Director of Propaganda, or if I may translate it with my own words, worked in service of manipulation. He refused knighthood after the war.

Joseph Retinger was with Joseph Conrad on a visit in Poland when the war started. Conrad with some problems went to Austria, Retinger back to France. During the war Retinger seemed to have tried to influence the Austrian Kaisers to finish their relationship with the Germans. Franz Joseph I and Karl I were not very pleased with his interventions. You should not mess around with the Habsburg family! Retinger was no longer welcome in Austria, the Germans wanted him dead and he was no longer welcome in Great Britain. Retinger also did not feel safe anymore in France and moved to Spain.

Here I am lost. Retinger, a man with so many friends, a man who knows how to pull the strings lost it for a while? And how come that afterwards relations are restored again? Retinger, a devout catholic, in conflict with the Habsburg family? The Habsburg family being one of the most important families in the defence of Roman Catholisism? Retinger not welcome in Britain and only a few years later working closely together with them? Having Arnold Bennett as a close friend and not being welcome in Britain?

Was this a cover up operation? Was the move to Spain needed for learning the language? Was Retinger's next step to Mexico carefully planned?