Evening star., 1933-03-22
Auf Wiedersehc n, Democracy

Yesterday alongsit e the crypt Of "Old
Fritz" the Frederick the Great OF
canonized memory. and amid the un-
furling Of the battle flags which saw
Prussia welded into a kingdom and
Germany into an empire with blood
and iron. they laid away the German
republic. The scene of the obsequies
was in full keeping, the Garrison
Church at Potsdam, legendary seat OF
Hohenzollern pomp and power and
Prussian military might. Over the cere-
monies marking the demise Of popular
government floated the restored i'm
perial black-white-red colors, f1anked
by the Fascist swastika, the twin en-
blems of the Reich and the Nazi au-
tocracy that now rules it. Storm
troops" patrolled the area. The former
crown prince was cheered to the echo
Germany was goose-stepped into new
epoch.
To what international repercussions
Hitlerism may lead was instantaneously
revealed at Washington. Just about
the time the bells throughout Germany
were tolling the doom of republicanism
the State Department was taking Off
cal cognizance Of the organized out
RACES against Germans and others OF
the Jewish faith, which have scan-
dalized the world ever since the Ma
tional Socialists usurped dictatorial au-
thority. Secretary Hull, in prompt re-
sponse to appeals from the American
Jewish Congress, directed the United
States embassy at Berlin to make a
complete report of the plight and fright
into which Nazi excesses have plunged
the entire Jewish community in Ger
many. This governments action Is
taken with view to possible repre-
sentations, In the name Of humanity
and justice, against the Hitlerite anti
Semitic campaign. 1t is not the first
time that official American interven-
tion has occurred In the case OF SINH
lar racial crusades on the continent Of
Europe.
What now is to happen in Germany
no man can foretell. Tuesdays elec-
tions were heavily and undisguisedly
saturated with the "Potsdam spirit,
which was literally invoked by all the
principal actors in the tragedy Of the
young German democracy. President
Won Hindenberg himself, held for more
than seven years by credulous outside
world as the sure shield against mo-
narchical and militarist reaction,
glorified "the spiritual regeneration Of
a free and proud Germany" as he re-
called the glory -hallowed memories
which cluster around the place where
we are today assembled" The spirit
of Potsdam" was apotheosized even more
fervently by Capt. Goering. Chancellor
Hitler's omnipotent minister without
portfolio. In 1919" he said, when
opening the first business session Of
the futile new Reichstag, "Potsdam was
made a by-word, and Away from Pots
dam,' was the slogan. It is symbolical
that the new Reichstag, which means
to restore to the Reich its former
greatness, dignity, honor and freedom,
has found its way back to the place
whence Prussia started, and, through
Prussia. Germany"
It is the Hitler governments inten-
ton, when the Reichstag convenes in
formal session tomorrow, forthwith to
seek an enabling act not only giving
the chancellor dictatorial powers, but
completely setting aside the present
constitution and abrogating rights con-
sidered sacred and fundamental under
the Weimar charter. Already there is
in force a presidential decree imposing
Imprisonment at hard labor for those
who dare to question the beneficence of
Nazi rule. The passage Of the enabling
act will mean that for four years de-
mocracy will be extinguished in Ger
many, in fact as well as in name. and
that new constitution, legalizing and
stabllizing dictatorship, will be handed
to the helpless German nation.
Mussolini, Stain, Pilsudski, Mustapha
Kemal, now Hitler! What next? Eu-
rope, made safe for democracy" as 1t
fondly thought, fifteen years ago, has
Travelled far and painfully since the
World War and its reactionary after
math.
In a few communities eggs will be
traded direct for flour and bacon and