Evening star., 1933-03-19

radio, which before their coming were
of the highest quality. 1t was the lead
ing radio, theater and film performers
who were dismissed because they were
foreigners or Jews. The Nazis pursue
the policy of sending a few troublemak-
ers to the performances of the authors
and players who are Objectionable from
their point of view. They create dis
turbances and then the policy has been
to withdraw permission to continue
with the performances on the ground
that they cause public disorder. 1t was
the storm troops of Hitlers Brown Army
that went into action against the film
version of Remarque's "All Quiet on the
Western Front" disliked by the Nazis
because it was suspected of anti.war
propaganda. At the time when the dis
turbances against the film took place
practical Joker submitted chapter of
Remarque's book TO the leading Ma
tional Socialist newspaper in Berlin,
Der Angriff. without mentioning the
authors name. The paper printed the
chapter with the greatest pleasure and
appreciation. yet at the same time it
was writing vitriolic editorials about
both the book and the film. The anti
human, nearly animal nature of the
movement is glaringly revealed in such
outbursts of savage hatred and scorn
poured on everything of high quality.
Hitler Violates Grammar.
The language of Lessing and Goethe,
too, is being defiled by the German
Fascists. Hitler's writings contain
countless illustrations Of every conceiv-
able violation of German grammar. The
Nazi press is making these un-GerTnan,
even anti-German outpourings available
to all and is thus trying to deprive us
of our richest heritage. For one who
sees the reflection Of a nations soul in
its language. there cannot be any great
er torture than to see what the NaZls
are doing to Goethe's language and how
they are poisoning the masses with
their concoction.
When trying to set the horoscope for
the future it is important for good
German to insist that there is a vast
difference between the party which at
the present moment seems to represent
the largest number of votes and the
people who stand for German culture.
A good German is one who tries to live
up to the best traditions of German
humanitarian feeling and of intellectual
accomplishments. On their resistance
the Nazi attack will fail.
Since Lessing's time German culture
has been cosmopolitan. presenting a
bold front to the power on the throne
and going its own ways. The German
intellectuals are opposed to Hitlerism.
They are fighting hard against Nazi
attempts to emaScuiate our Academy
of Literature, to Jail some of our best
journalists and to clo.e the temples
Of our art Those intellectuals want to
keep the German radio from becoming
entirely a medium of NaZi propaganda
and to save the German theater and
film from annihilation. But how can
they prevent youth from being poisoned
with Nazi hatred? Although they have
not the means, they know that intellect
has always been stronger than force
and that German culture will reaSsert
itself against the barbarism seeking to
engulf it. After all, higher civilization
follows lower one, and the man of the
bronze age scored victory over the
man of the mere primitive stone age.
This article is being written on the
eve Of my sailing for Europe, just a
few days before the German elections.
Whatever their outcome will be, it is
safe to say that Hitler will cling to
power. But it Is just as safe to predict
that the best there is in German culture
will keep on opposing him until the day
when the superior mans love of his
fellow human beings will triumph over
the inferior mans hatred of all that Is
better than be.