Evening star., 1933-02-19

COlOrS Wlldt Ills RUE, IIle LNlrQ HelCQ,
as he calls it, would do.
Freedom and a job for everybody, a
fight to finish against profiteers of all
sorts, particularly Jewish ones; lighter
taxation, more work. Germany re-
stored to her former power and her
former glory-theSe were the most Strik-
ing promises which the young Austrian
orator made to his ever-increasing
audiences.
But Adolf Hitler'S rise would never
have been SO rapid and so decisive had
not Alfred Hugenberg, the restless.
scheming leader of the Deutsch-N Nation
ale VolkSpartei, seen the opportunity to
use Hitler's wide popular appeal for the
advancement of his own party ends.
Rich industrialists, listening to advice
from Eugenberg, who formerly had been
managing director of Krupps gigantic
steel factories, poured millions into
Hltler's war chest, and at the celebrated
Harzburg meeting Hitler and Hugen-
berg appeared arm in arm and pro-
claimed the united front of national
Germany. But the personal sympathies
between the stiff, bureaucratic, thor
oughly Prussian Hugenberg and the
Austrian, eaSy-going Adolf Hitler have
never been great. Even during the
Harzburg honeymoon both sides showed
decided inclination to quarrel. Finally
the HarZburg front disappeared from
practical politics. only to be revived in
the form Of the Hitler cabinet.
Let us throw some light on the COM
position Of the Nazis. Their full name
Is Rationale Deutsch ch-Sozialistische Ar
beiter-Partei. And In this official name
the two main elements which have con-
trlbuted to the success of the Hitlerites
ho1o T14i 1ztb =
"Deutsch" were bound to appeal to
large groups in whom the humiliations
and bad treatment meted out to Ger
many, the economic misery and the
burden Of reparations has led to a
widespread awakening of strong Ger
man nationalistic feeling The words
"Soziale Arbeiter- -Partei'' appealed to
those OF the workmen who no longer
believed IN the pure Marxistic doctrine
and who could not find any satisfaction
In either communism or socialism.
Two Elements Important.
Among the very mixed following
Hitler has attached to his banners
these two elements have always been
most conspicuous: The one nationalistic
| drawn from those classes which used
to give their best recruits to the
DeutSch-Natlonale, peasants, landown-
erS, junkers, induStrialists and retired
officers; the other brought to the swas-
tika banner a large following particu-
larly of youthful workmen, who, in
ordinary times, would have become
either Social Democrats or Communists
Among those men who promised tc
play a prominent role in Hitler's party
were the brothers, Gregor and Otto
StrasSer, from small South German
bourgeoisie. They represent in one
family the two most prominent forces
OF Hitlerism. Gregor Strasser was con-
sidered the ablest and most statesman
like of Hitler's lieutenants, and it was
generally agreed that in case Hitler
came into power Gregor Strasser would
be singled out for high Office. He repre-
sented the more practical and more
conservative elements in Hitlerism. But
he Quarreled with his chief a few
months ago and left the party.
His brother, Otto, gifted, extremely
radical youngster, Is the chief Of what
they call "the black group of the
Nazs. and his theories are so close tc
Communism that often one can hardly
distinguish between the two creeds. =.
| When former Chancellor Heinrich
Bamberg recently to deliver political
speech there was violent rioting ano
Bruening's life was threatened-andi ir
that rioting the Hitlerites and Com
munists joined hands Likewise, in the
| great transportation strike some time
before Christmas the NaZis and Com
munists co-operated closely. the Nazis
being almost more conspicuous for
radicalism than the Communists.
How Is It all going to end? What is
going to be the effect on Germany OF
this Fascist triumph?
| 1t would be childish to deny that the
experiment of the Hitler cabinet is a
dangerous ard far-reaching one. and il
must be feareds that the improvement
in Germany's economic life, which has
been under way since last September
might be postponed or, if things be-
come really bad, actually nipped in the
bud. Still, it would be unwise to fear
that Germany's recovery from the ter
rible trial of the World War might be
destroyed by political unrest. Delay
there may be, but the ultimate result
of a consolidated Germany IS beyond
| doubt The energy, the common sense
| and the tenacity of the German peo-
pie will bring them ultimate success
AS of Frances great capital, it may be
said of the ship of the German Reich
she may be tossed by storm, but she
will not sink.