Evening star., 1932-12-10
Won Schleicher Called Force
Behind Politics in Germany

Gen. Kurt Won Schleicher, who has
been appointed as chancellor of Ger
many, is believed to be a more forceful
figure than his predecessors because of
his personal influence with all classes
in the country. He is called the power
behind the government and new Iron
Chancellor" His interests are identi-
fled with those of the MonRrch;st party,
and it is concluded in this country that
he may have long term of office
He doubtless realizes" according to
the Charleston IS. c. Evening Post,
that he must govern without parlia-
mentary authority or support, If he is
to govern at all; that there must be,
in fact, a virtual dictatorship estab-
lished. II the old warrior at the head
of the government has made up his
mind to see that through, and If Won
Schleicher Is the man he is supposed
to be. the movement OF the German
republic toward the Right and on the
way to a restored, if modified, monarchy
would seem to have begun"
X 4 II
He is called "a bundle of contradic-
tions" by the Cincinnati Times-Star
which offers the explanation: Though
generally believed To be Monarchist
at heart. he has dismissed all talk of a
HehenZollern restoration as idle chat
ter A maker and breaker of cabinets
he yet opposed the undemocratic
changes that Won Papen would have
made in the Weimar constitution. A
member of the Junker group, he has
managed to win the friendship of the
trades unions and the support of the
Center parties. as well as the admira-
tion of several Hitler lieutenants. The
sum of all these opposites seems to be
a genius for getting things done.
Whether Won Schleicher's efficiency
produces a military dictatorship. with
its ever-present threat of revolution, or
the miracle OF a working German CO.
alition, is on the knees OF Wotan. At
the moment he seems more likely than
any other man to unite Germany in the
task of economic reconstruction, as he
is the only one capable OF handling
Hitler"
Representing the militarist and
Junker class" in the opinion OF the
Akron Beacon Journal, the new cham
cellor will give only mock devotion to
the forms of the republic. with its flc-
ton OF popular rule. But since the
nation seems to want a strongly CEN
tralized government it will probably be
better served by Chancellor Won
Schleicher than by the restless and am
bilious Hitler. Europe knows what to
expect from the caste that the CHAM
cellor represents. Its nerves would have
been eternally on edge if the alien and
uncertain Hitler mad been elevated TO
power, backed by the motley aggrega-
ton of Black Shirts and grievances that
fell Just short of controlling its recent
hot Gahl loin iS i'm
It is easy to risk the prediction that by
no warrant of the Parliament or the
ballot box will he be booted out II
his authority is disputed the next step
will be the restoration OF the throne,
with some member Of the house OF
Hohenzollern called to the succession.
BY their indifference to the progress
of autocratic plottings the German peo-
pie condoned this transition, and they
will have to abide its ultimate effect
upon their civic fortunes"
X 4
1t is reassuring to the Baltimore Sun
that the German people themselves are
showing a measurable stability in the
face of Kaleidoscope political changes"
and that paper infers that the funda-
mental Teuten solidity has not been
broken up" The Louisville Courier
Journal sees everything cut and dried
for the present regime. and offers the
analysis: THE Won Papen ministry was
doomed from the start. There was no
hope that it would get to first base with
solid opposition against it. The general
elections last month, however. demon-
strated that the Reichstag could not
organize q stable ministry and that it
would not support any ministry which
might be named. It's ovn division and
confusion forced an extra-parliamentary
regime responsible only to President Won