Evening star., 1934-03-01
NAz| ADVENTURE
|SLURE TO YOUTH
Young Germany Is Untired
by BugIes, Drums and
Marching.

This Is the third OF a series Of
dispatches from the trouble zones
OF continental Europe, where Sir
Philip Gibbs, the distinguished
author and wor correspondent, Is
notn making q surrey of the pos
stbtltttes of another tpdr. His first
tpo dispatches tpere from Paris,
and from Berlin he goes to Vienna
and Rome.
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS, X. b. e.
BERLIN. March (By Radio) -
For three days since I have been here
Berlin has been a city celebrating as
a great victory the day IA years ago
when Adolf Hitler started his cam
paign with a small group of friends in
beer hall In Munich, and where last
Saturday he made Q speech as the
ruler OF the German Empire.
Standing in these German crowds,
I could not help asking myself what
this army Of youth, e1is hero worship
Tor q man Of unknown quality, this
fervor OF youth for service under a
strange flag may mean to Europe and
the future Of civilization-nota an easy
question to answer.
What does it mean to Germany?
Well, after three days in the streets Of
Berlin and on my previous knowledge
OF Germany, I am convinced that
youth, from young boyhood to young
manhood, finds this system Of Hitler
and the Nazi leaders a splendid ad-
venture. They have not yet tired of
1t. though they have been marching
and beating drums for more than a
year now. They do not look as If they
are firing.
Oath Given On Loudspeaker.
Sunday I was awakened very early
by bugles, drums and the endless
tramp OF marching feet. Hundreds
OF thousands Of young men were as
sembled at fixed points to swear the
oath Of allegiance to Hitler.
Along the whole length of the Unter
den Linden there were loudspeakers,
and through them came enormous
voices proclaimlng the glory of the
German people and repeating the
oath to Hitler as taken by the sec
ton leaders, of whom there are a
million in Germany: ''I swear an
unbreakable troth to Adolf Hitler and
unlimited obedience to him and his
appointed leaders"
Tremendous shouts Of Hell Hitler %
roared through the loudspeakers, fol-
lowed by q ruffle Of drums and a
fanfare of trumpets.
The Nazi propagandists have imi-
tated the methods of Moscow in using
this way Of mass suggestion. Certain
words and phrases are dinned into
ones ears: THE German people, "
Our Leader" "The German race"
Our future destiny" Comradeship,
unity, service"
These words and phrases are elab-
GRATED into long articles in the news
papers, which have no news. They
are familiar from the strong lungs
Of NaI orations.
have no doubt that millions OF
Germans believe sincerely and with
passionate conviction in the Nazi
creed, though others may doubt and
say nothing. But repetition is always
tedious. I noticed in a large cafe
that there was not an alert interest
in the loudspeaker through which
Hitler's voice from Munich came
shouting, though his auditors were
impressed by hearing the voice Of the
man who holds such q great power
over the German people.
Enthusiasm Continues.
In this case, typical, I am sure, oi
others in Berlin, young woman went
on powdering her nose and q young
man went on writing a letter. Others
listened with dull eyes. Only one
man stood up when there came
through the loudspeaker the solemn
hymn Of victory. Hell Dir I'm Sieges
Kranz"
But do not suggest that enthu-
siasm for Hitler and for the Nazi
creed is dying down. On the con-
trary, one sees in Berlin that the
masses Of middle-class folk still have
an almost religious enthusiasm for the
NaI leaders and symbols and fol-
these boys in uniform. It is only the
propaganda, which is always the
same, that Is apt to deaden the senses
even Of enthusiasm. That is why the