Evening star., 1932-06-02
Germany's Amazing Cabinet.

Until Col. Franz Won Papen-the
Capt; Won Papen of unsavory wartime
renown in Washington-com what
he will remember that President Will
sen used to stigmatiZe as overt acts"
he is entitled to expect the world to
reserve its judgment of his startling
choice as German chancellor When
Field Marshal Paul Won Hindenburg,
who has named Col. Won Papcn as DR..
Bruening's successor. became President
OF the Reich in 1925 the world shud-
dered, as it is shudder.ng today over
the elevation of militarist of the old
regime to the highest cabinet Office in
Germany. Hindenburg agreeably disap-
pointed those who feared that his presi-
dency meant the eventual restoration
of the monarchy and the army autoc-
racy. Col. Won Papens chancellorship
may turn out, too, to be less ominous
than it seems.
Nevertheless, the selection of rela-
lively unimportant Individual, whose
only known political views are notori
ously reactionary, to take the helm at
this troublous hour of Germanys des-
tiny is nothing short of amazing. 1t
would be sufficiently so of itself but in
surrounding himself with a cabinet of
ennobled aristocrats and one devoid
OF either parliamentarians or repre-
,tot nf y,i1 la
Papen becomes the head of a govern
ment almost defiantly subversive Of
the ideals upon which the German re-
public was founded on the ruins of
Hohenzollernism.
Already it is known in Berlin that
while Col. Won Papen is the nominal
chief of the new cabinet the power
behind the thrcne is Gen. Kurt ven
Schleicher, a die hard militarist of the
supposedly discredited school. 1t is the
| Won Schleicher influence that is re-
puted to have brought about the steady
! undermining of DR.. Bruenings status
with President Won Hindenburg and the
| late chancellor's final fall from grace
and office.
mere tabulation of the names which
ncw WELD power in the Wilhelmstrasse
| is eloquent. 1t reads like roster OF
pre-war days. A Won Papen in the
| chancellorship, Won Schleicher as wal
minister. Baron Won Gayl as minister
of tie interior, Baron Ed,er Won Braun
as minister of agriculture and eastern
as minister cf transportation and posts
To complete this "Herrenhaus House
of Lords-it is expected that Baron
/ Konstantin Won Neurath, now Ambas-
, sador to Great Britain. will take over
the German foreign office. If the exiled
William II were to remount his throne
| today. these are the elements which he
would gather around hin-the Prussian
Old Guard.
If the personnel of the new Berlin
government is of disquieting nature
there is slight reason for satisfaction
| IN the prospect that it is doomed tc
| be merely stopgap cabinet. An early
dissolution of the Reichstag is forecast
with a consequent general election later
| in the Summer. Herr Hitler and his
"Nazis" are not represented in the
Won Pspen ministry, as no Reichstae
parties are. but that circumstance fills
the German Fascists with no remorse
From the general election which is
presently to ensue the National So
cialists are serenely confident that they
/ will emerge so numerically prepon.
derant that President Won Hindenbure
will have no alternative but to invite
Herr Hitler to form new government
When the time comes fer Col vor
Papen to hand over the chancellorshir
! to the "Nazi' chieftain the outside
world will be inclined to think that
Germany has merely transferred from
the frying pan into the fire.
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