Hitler Gets Warm

Italian politics in the days of ruthless Lorenzo the Magnificent and astute Niccolo Machiavelli were scarcely more tortuous than German politics today. Last week a fog of intrigue hung thick over official Berlin as a swarm of airplane-riding Nazis (Fascists) flocked vulture-like to the Capital. Their meat was the sudden resignation of Germany's autocratic and aristocratic Cabinet, headed by Oberst-leutnant (Lieut.-Colonel) Franz von Papen, mosthated Chancellor in modern German history.

Caught unawares in Rome, barrel-chested Oberst (Colonel) Herman Goring, the Nazi Speaker of the Reichstag, instantly chartered a plane, made the longest Nazi flight. Leader Hitler swooped from Munich to Berlin's famed Tempelhofer flying field in a thundering trimotored ship crammed with political aides, two publicity men and an economist to advise him a la Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

"Strong Personal Dislike." If Steel Tycoon Fritz Thyssen is not Berlin's Lorenzo the Magnificent, he is an excellent modern imitation. At Herr Thyssen's enormous detective-watched residence Leader Hitler and Oberst Goring ate dinner after their flights to Berlin. They conferred the same night with Germany's modern Machiavelli, soft-spoken General-leutnant Kurt von Schleicher, Minister of Defense in the von Papen Cabinet which continued to function ad interim. Germans soon noticed the surprising fact that several newsorgans of Biggest Business, such as Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitiing and Rheinisch-Westfalische, had abruptly switched from hostility to support of Adolf Hitler. The Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitiing urged President von Hindenburg "in the interest of that tranquillity required for business revival," to overcome his "strong personal dislike" of Fascist Hitler and appoint him German Chancellor!

"I'll Rap Your Fingers!" President von Hindenburg showed his strong personal dislike on Aug. 13, 1932 when he received Herr Hitler standing and omitted to invite his guest to sit down. At that time neither Hitler nor Hindenburg knew what the other was going to say. They quarreled on their feet for 15 minutes. Handsome Adolf cheekily demanded that he be made Chancellor "with precisely the same power that Mussolini exercised after the march on Rome!" Old Paul replied in the tone of a Prussian school-teacher lecturing an urchin. He is said to have actually used the words, "If you don't behave, I'll rap your fingers!" Last week Germany's master intrigants took care that when President von Hindenburg inevitably summoned Adolf Hitler (as the leader of Germany's largest party), the two men understood in advance that they were not going to quarrel but to sit down and discuss.

Four Eyes Conference. Leader Hitler & friends walked through crowds of cheering Nazis to the President's door. The friends, who included Speaker Goring and Economic Adviser Dr. Otto Wagener, were asked to wait in an anteroom.

The conference was to be what Germans call a "meeting of four eyes." It lasted in total secrecy, for more than an hour. Towards the end the 85-year-old President rang for his State Secretary, discreet Dr. Otto Meissner, who added fuel to the flames of curiosity by uttering the words, "Extraordinary cordiality!"

When the hour and a few minutes more were up. Leader Hitler stepped forth, close-lipped but with a completely different air than when he left the President on Aug. 13. Handsome Adolf's expression then was hangdog. Last week he radiated smiles, waved his hat, kindled such expectations among several hundred waiting Nazis that they massed around his Mercedes shouting questions, and would not let it move.

The chauffeur, knowing that Herr Hitler only wanted to ride to the Kaiserhof Hotel 200 yards away, threatened the crowd by racing his engine in neutral, produced an impressive 180 h. p. roar. Gingerly, while police struggled with the cheering crowd, the chauffeur let his clutch part way in. pressed the Mercedes' muzzle against the good-humored crowd which very gradually gave way. The car managed to cover the 200 yards in 15 minutes.

Inside the Kaiserhof, Leader Hitler tried to ignore the yells of a crowd which grew larger every minute. The police telephoned a request. They could not restore order, they said, unless Herr Hitler would show himself. He refused to come out. Again the police telephoned. Finally, amid plaudits worthy of an emperor, the Nazi Chief appeared on a balcony, saluted in Fascist fashion, turned smartly about and marched indoors. The crowds, satisfied after their brief glimpse of Adolf Hitler's brown Charlie Chaplin mustache, dispersed cheering.

What Had Happened? President von Hindenburg, according to his entourage, did not entrust Herr Hitler with an official mandate to form a Cabinet as Chancellor, did authorize him to confer with party leaders and report back to the President whether a Cabinet having a majority in the Reichstag could be formed. This left completely open the question of who should be Chancellor.

Leaks from the Nazi camp indicated that Leader Hitler tried to persuade the President to accept him as Chancellor chiefly by arguing that the Fascist party is now Germany's "sole bulwark against proletarianism." This argument, not mere Hitler claptrap, had strong elements of fact. Earlier in the week Dr. Paul Lobe, long considered a most moderate Socialist, Speaker of the Reichstag, with one short interlude, for twelve years (1920-32), made a pivotal speech. Seconded by other Socialist leaders, he called on the Socialist Party (Germany's second largest) to unite with the Communist Party (third largest) in a "solid proletarian front!"

Obviously the sole parliamentary bulwark against so potent a pink & red front would be the Nazi brownshirts (largest party) supported by a coalition of the small, moderate centre parties and by Dr. Alfred Hugenberg's rampant Nationalists --who in fact are Monarchists.

Over the week-end Oberst Goring, acting for Leader Hitler who wished to avoid possible rebuffs, contacted secretly the leaders of all parties which might be expected to come into coalition except Dr. Alfred Hugenberg, "Hearst of Germany."

Standing on his dignity. Dr. Hugenberg refused to meet Oberst Goring, said he would meet Leader Hitler. This was no mean concession. Up to last week the Hugenberg Press had been flaying the Nazis, calling Herr Hitler names.

In Government circles reports that General-leutnant Kurt von Schleicher had secretly conferred a second time with Leader Hitler were not denied. President von Hindenburg asked Herr Hitler to report to him a day earlier than had been planned. They talked for 15 minutes and the President officially authorized the Fascist leader to try to form a Cabinet as Chancellor, but on "seven conditions" which were not made public. For the first time in his blatant, meteoric career Adolf Hitler was "getting warm." Stocks on the Berlin exchange, which eased when the von Papen Cabinet resigned, firmed again and began to rise.

"Presidial Cabinet?" During the quasi-dictatorship of President von Hindenburg, whose Chancellors have been ruling by Presidential decrees (often in flat defiance of the Reichstag) Germans have coined such terms as "autarchy," and "presidial government" to describe what is really the eclipse of their democracy.

Facing the future, German observers were sure last week that the next Cabinet will be "presidial," irrespective of who becomes Chancellor or whether a majority in the Reichstag can be found. Should the Nazis succeed in building a coalition it would still remain true in Germany--as in Italy--that "Fascism is the negation of democracy." Should they fail, President von Hindenburg was considered certain to dissolve the newly elected Reichstag (TIME, Nov. 14), appoint another protege of himself and General-leutnant von Schleicher as Chancellor and continue to rule by decree.

Of his purpose to rule, the President served drastic notice last week. He issued two more decrees, the first re-enforcing federal control of the Free State of Prussia (TIME, Sept. 12), the second extending to January 1933 the "civic truce" (ban on political meetings not approved by the government) which was to have expired last week.

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