Scared to Death

To say that most German statesmen & politicians outside the Government's charmed circle were scared to death last week, would be understatement. Panic made cowards of the bravest of brave German Socialists and Communists. Even Catholics trembled--except Dr. Hans Luther. It was accurately said that in less than two weeks Chancellor Hitler has reduced his opponents to a lower level of groveling fear than did Premier Mussolini in the two years after the March on Rome, Oct. 30, 1922.

The Facts. In Italy Opposition Deputies kept their seats and voted against the Mussolini Government until June 15. 1924, when the "Aventine" Opposition withdrew. Since 1928 Il Duce has had a parliament made up exclusively of yes-men elected by the Italian people whose only alternative is to reject the entire slate of Deputies presented to them as candidates by the Fascist regime.

In Germany last week--not two years but two weeks after the Republic "died" (TIME, March 13) and before the new Reichstag met--nearly all Communist Deputies and many Socialist Deputies were in jail. The Hitler Government announced that no Communist Deputies (even should they break jail) would be admitted to the Reichstag. Most Socialist Deputies were expected to stay away, lest they be harmed. The bravest Socialist (by reputation), Dr. Otto Braun, Premier of Prussia, once famed as "The Lion of Social Democracy," fled to Switzerland where he was still so terrified that he telegraphed to Berlin his resignation from the Prussian Diet and from the German Reichstag.

Previously Premier Braun & Cabinet had petitioned the German Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the German Government's seizure of the Prussian State Government (TIME, Feb. 13). Last week the panic-palsied petitioners withdrew their petition--a great convenience to the Supreme Court.

Suddenly Berlin police demanded the passports of two members of the vanished Braun Cabinet, famed Karl Severing, one-time Prussian Minister of Interior (which made him in 1920-26 and 1930-32 the head of Berlin's and Prussia's police) and onetime Prussian Minister of Education Adolf Grimme. The police said they wanted to "examine'' the passports, refused to say why. Pale green with fear,

Herren Severing & Grimme managed to send their passports to the Presidential Palace, breathed a mite easier when they were able to say, "Our true friend President von Hindenburg is holding our passports as trustee."

"Mustard Flag!" President von Hindenburg's pompous State Secretary, Dr. Otto Meissner was once secretary to "the George Washington of the German Republic," its first President, Friedrich Ebert (died 1925). One day last week Dr. Meissner picked up his telephone, heard a woman's voice weak with terror, the voice of Widow Ebert, a plump, pink, normally happy hausfrau.

Some Nazi Storm Troops had just raided her apartment brandishing pistols, said Widow Ebert. They had demanded, "Give us your mustard flag!" (A derisive Nazi term for the now abolished German Republican banner of black, red & gold.)

"We have no flag!" cried Son Friedrich Ebert Jr., trying to calm his mother. After huddling & whispering, the chief of the Nazi youths advanced upon Son Ebert.

"Do you pledge your holy word of honor that there is no flag here?"

"I do."

"Search the place for arms!"

After much rummaging the Nazis found a pistol belonging to Son Ebert and a permit to carry it which had expired. Scowling, they departed with these trophies.

Dr. Meissner, when he had heard this story over the telephone, rushed to President von Hindenburg. Calmly Der Feldmarschall ordered a police investigation, dictated his "profound regrets for such unchivalrous treatment'' which were duly conveyed to Widow Ebert. Later Nazi Captain Hermann Wilhelm Goring, Minister of Interior for Prussia (i. e. of police), apologized to Germany's George Washington's still trembling widow. Safe outside Germany where he says he will stay "because of Hitlerism," Professor Albert Einstein read last week that his home had been burst into and ransacked by Nazis who said they were "looking for arms," found none.

Flexible Instruments. The German press censor passed cables saying that Nazis in Potempa who took an unresisting Communist from his bed last August and stamped upon him until he died were last week pardoned, set free. Dispatches also passed the censor in which Jews were described as being commonly beaten by Nazis with an instrument consisting of a steel spring tipped by a small lead ball. The effect: maximum flesh bruises without actually breaking a bone.

In Cologne several Nazis were interrupted while robbing a wealthy old Jew by other Nazis who tore the brown shirts from the Robber Nazis backs, reminded them that Chancellor Hitler has commanded DISCIPLINE (TIME, March 20), restored the old Jew's property, had the shirtless Nazis expelled by local party officials and turned over to the police for what they were: burglars.

Dare-Devil. In Munich dare-devil Count Anton Arco-Vally who in 1919 assassinated the then Socialist Premier of Bavaria but was set free in 1927, said candidly last week that he now intends to assassinate Chancellor Adolf Hitler. Just before the Chancellor arrived by plane in Munich--traditional Fascist headquarters --the Count was placed in a cell, still firmly maintaining that he will assassinate Herr Hitler. Just after the Chancellor left for Berlin, Munich's Police Chief claimed to have prevented an attack on Handsome Adolf's life by three men who deposited three hand grenades and some ammunition near the Chancellor's Munich home. "If a single shot is fired against any member of the new Government," said the Police Chief, "even if it misses its mark, there will be unparalleled chaos and the greatest pogrom which no authority in the world could prevent!"

Death to Marxism! With Jews still being beaten and Jewish stores raided or closed throughout the Reich last week, non-Jews gradually recovered a feeling that any further Nazi violence would almost certainly not be directed against them, unless they happened to be Marxists.

"We are going to extirpate Marxism!" shouted Captain Goering amid applause from the conservative Pomeranian Landbund. "I am going to keep my fist on the neck of these creatures until they are finished. We are not only going to extirpate the pest but we are going to tear the word Marxism out of every book. In 50 years nobody in Germany is going to know what the word means."

Referring to past (not to present or possible future Nazi violence) Captain Goering said:

"This Revolution differs from the [German] revolt of 1918 [which established the Republic] in that this one was conducted with discipline. I repudiate the charge brought against me that in my Essen speech I gave a signal for relaxing discipline, much less for plundering and the like. But this I emphasize, that I am not so cowardly as to recoil from that which Nazis have done in the exuberance of their feelings.

"No, I acknowledge their acts as my acts! If they have made mistakes, then it is their leaders, then it is I who am responsible. We have cleaned out Germany!"

Popular Enlightenment. Called the youngest German ever to hold major Cabinet rank, 35-year-old Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels (Ph. D., Heidelberg) became last week Minister of Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment, a Ministry which he promptly organized in five departments of nation-wide dictatorial power: 1) Propaganda; 2) Radio; 3) Press; 4) Cinema; 5) Theatre.

"I demonstrated to President von Hindenburg," boasted young Dr. Goebbels. "how necessary it was to create such a department. . . . We must create a Press joyously conscious of its responsibility to the Fatherland! . . . We must catch the soul vibrations of the German people. . . . Ach, Meine Herren, think of the Press as a great keyboard on which the Government can play."

Asked if his brand of soul vibrations might not prove in the end tedious. Dr. Goebbels slapped his thigh. "You know me!" he cried. "I am a sworn enemy of every sort of boredom! . . . Best of all, our propaganda is not going to cost the German people anything. Instead my Ministry cannot fail to show a profit-- the radio advertising, you know!''

Dr. Goebbels, having at his disposal German radio stations of sufficient power to encircle the entire world with Hitler propaganda, said that he would begin by putting on the air a daily short-wave broadcast in English & German aimed at listeners throughout the U. S. and Canada. At first the programs will stress German music and such--proceeding gradually to Enlightenment and Propaganda when a sufficiently large audience has been built up.

As usual, super-power German stations will continue their efforts to "jam" the Soviet super-power stations which regularly attempt to broadcast Marxian & Leninist ideas throughout Europe. For the special purpose of "jamming" Moscow's broadcasts, the Polish Government built some years ago what Poles call "the most powerful radio station in the world," made a few experimental broadcasts to the U. S. Last week Dr. Goebbels when asked about the ethics of his plan to radioize the U. S. cried: "Why not? The Poles have done it!"

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