Evening star., 1933-04-16
HITLER NOW RULES
RADIO IN GERMANY
Government to Make Any
Use Of Air Desired in Vig-
orous Campaigning.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

~ ERMANY'S recently national
lied broadcasting system has
7 been completely taken under
~ control by the Hitler regime
with Minister of Propaganda
0oebbels in supreme authority to make
any use Of the radio that the National
Socialist government chooses in its Wig
orous campaign Of nationalism. DR.
G0ebbelS was unequivOcal in his state
ment that he intends using broadcast
ing to further the ends Of the new gov
eminent when, almost Immediately aftei
the national holiday of March 81 and
the inauguration" broadcasts from
Potsdam and elsewhere, he called the
staff of the Berlin BroAdcasting House
together for a pep talk"
That German radio now wholly sub
serves the state may or may not have
been evident to American listeners
from the character Of the speeches re.
layed from Berlin to the networks here
in regent weeks. The avowed purposes
Of the Hitler government and its &C.
tionS 20 far with regard to radio, among
other things, as reported here from
highly reliable sources, offer some in
teresting contrasts with American broad
casting methods that are fully as strik-
ing as German contrasts with Ameri-
can press methods.
Absence Leaves Granted.
Leaves Of absence" it is reported
have been granted indefinitely" tc
heads of many departments Of the
many stations scattered throughout
Germany. The German spirit, as ex-
emplified in such music as Wagner's, i:
to be stressed In radio programs, &C
cording to Richard Kolb, acting pro-
gram director, who Is reported to have
deplored the alleged fact that Wagner's
works have been played more often
abroad than 1t home.
More young poets, writer's and play
wrights Of the present generation are tc
be given time on the air In pursuance oi
the youth movement DR.. Goebbels 4
quoted as stating that the time Of lib
erAksm was gone, as was the time o1
the individual. A nationalistic art anC
culture, he said, must be the main ain
OF broadcasting. Indicative Of the new
spirit was the order that the station
break" signals from Germany's great
Koenigwlisterhausen station near Berlin
akin to our key network stations
chimes, shall in future be the first bal
Of the old German folk song, "Ueb
Immer Treu und Redlichkeit.' as played
by recording Of the carlton Of tn,
Garrison Church in Potsdam.
Jews, Of course, have been removed
from radio as from other musical anc
| artistic pursuits. Censorship probably
will not be needed, for the functionine
Of the system has been carefully placed
In Nazi and government hands. Where
the operation OF German radio was un.
til recently under the Joint control ol
the ministry Of the interior and the
post Office department., single radio
commissioner. DR.. Kruckenberg, ha.
been appointed under DR.. Goebbel'l
ministry. The post of1ce's function
will merely be to maintain the tech.
nical operation and probably to con-
| tinue handling the radio set taxes
which are collected monthly by thu
postmAn.
Ohleial and Wife Suicide.
One tragic result of the upheaval ir
German radio was the suicide by tax.
ing gas on March "a Of walter Schaef
| fer, chief engineer Of the r. r. g., ant
his wife. Herr Schaeffer was despond
ent over removal from his post. HI
| was q renowned authority on acoustics
| Latest reports were that DR.. Reisser
director Of the transatlantic reception
laboratory, u slated to succeed Her
Schaeffer.
News broadcasts are to play q larg'
part in Germany's radio routine here
after, and, indeed, the new leaders arr
quoted - saying that radio Is to be th'
! principal distributor Of news, as well a!
GermAny's chief cultural factor. Gov
eminent leaders are to employ radio a
need and will but the heavy pabulun
Of politics that has surfeited German
| listeners in recent months, they havt
| been assured, will be replaced by en-
tertainment in recognition Of the fac
that most listeners expect relaxation
rather than instruction via their loue
| speakers
Counterpart Of the American net
works handling Of the Roosevelt inau
gurAtion In Washington last month wer'
the national holiday broadcasts March
81 from Berlin and Putsdam. Not {
detail Was missed by the n remote
control microphones stationed at stra
| tegic positions, addition to the Studio
performances Of music and plays with
| nAtional8tic themes. The crowds wer'
| described by Baldur Won Schirach
leader Of the National Socialist you'll
movement as announcer at the Pots
dam ceremonies. President Hinden
burRs and Chancellor Hitler's speeche
| were carried in full, as was the session
OF the Reichstag. All the parades ant
| fanfare were broadcast in minute de
tail from Berlin Is we'll as Potsdam
| Portions of the bruadcASts were re
corded and repeated on the air the fol
lowing night.