The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-23
BY GUY V. MILLER

Hitler went to work Immediately.
His first task was to attract more
people to the meetings. over glasses
of beer, he and his comrades dis
cussed ways and means of doing
this.
The party treasury held two
marks. The members had no money.
Then Hitler thought Of an eco
nomical way to attract attention.
He and the other members would
write letters to all the people they
knew, inviting them to attend the
meetings
The next day eighty letters were
sent out That night two dozen
people attended the meeting and
Hitler spoke. With his natural
born gift of oratory he swayed them
TO tears and when the meeting
ended, the party had added a dozen
recruits.
BY means of the letters and Hit
lers speeches, the party grew by
leaps and bounds.
Attract Great Crowds
Within a few weeks it was neces-
sary to hire large hall to hold the
crowds. Audiences of a thousand
were not uncommon.
AS his fame increased, so did
Hitler's power. He now was the
undlsputed dictator of the party.
drafting its program to suit his
personal beliefs and prejudices.
His speeches were filled with
Iibes at the expense of the repub-
Tic and Of his hated foes, the Jews.
Democracy fundamentally is
jewish, not German" he told his
spell-bound audiences.
Or again he would tell them.
If you fail to see your name
mallgned in the Jewish press in the
morning, you made no good use of
your time yesterday"
Enjoys Rough Debate
BY now, the membership of the
party reached into the thousands.
There were branches throughout
Bavaria. AS Hitler's followers grew,
the Socialists sat up and took no.
tice
Hundreds of them attended his
meetings only to heckle him. But
the Austrian born speaker thrived
on criticism. He enjoyed rough and
tumble debate and at such meet
1ngs, usually put his hecklers to
rout.
In 1881 Hitler decided to reor-
ganize and rename the party. He
dropped the six original members
ano changed the name to the Ma
tionalist-Socialist party.
At the same time Hitler decided
to adopt a flag and an emblem. He
chose the swastika, always the SYM
Dol of thoroughbred Germanism.
The flag was red with a white cir
Gle containing the swastika.
Forms Storm Troops
Along with the flag and emblem,
Hitler organized his storm troops"
The brown uniform Immediately
attracted thousands of war veterans
and young boys. With them came
officers Of the old army to drill and
lead the attachments.
BY 1923, Hitler's party was large
and powerful enough to attract
Berlins attention. He had nearly
ten thousand storm troops" all well
disciplined and devoted faithfully
to their leader.
President Ebert and his associates
watched Hitlers rise with troubled
eyes. They knew Bavaria was ready
to revolt, and Secede from the reich.
Hundreds of die-hard monarchists
were pouring into the state, to join
hands with the FasciStS. Among
them was General Erich Won Lu-
dendorf, chief of staff of the Ger
man armies during the World war
Friends With Won LudendOrff
Won Ludendorff and Hitler speedily
became friends. The former held
the same political beliefs as did the
FaScists and he frequently bolStered
their cause by appearing at mass
meetings and speaking
Germany has won the war" the
general used to shout, but has been