The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-20
Liberal Viewpoint
BY DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

Editors Note-This is the second of four
articles by Harry Elmer Barnes, Ph.D, on
the causes, course and immediate results of
the uprising in Germany.
II MOVING well that dictatorship, even under
N the most favorable circumstances, calls
for forceful methods and recognizing his spe-
cially precarious position on account of the cross
purposes of his followers, Hitler set out vigor-
ously on a ruthless process Of solidifying his
power.
Appealing both to patriotism and religious
fanaticism he first launched a nationwide drive
against the Jews which eliminated in an anti
! Semitic onslaught unprecedented in modern
| times. Almost simultaneously he crushed the
radicals and stemmed the tide toward Com
nnunism. He let the conservatives go on believing
that he would re-establish monarchy in Ger
many.
In keeping with his program Of unity at any
cost, he clamped down a censorship upon Ger
many as intense as that Of wartime Freedom
of speech, press and assembly disappeared. The
| schools, even the great German university sys-
tenn, were compelled to conform to NaN die
tates and ideals.
Hitler relied not only upon patriotism but also
upon the closely allied sentiment of religion He
W mt as far as he dared in the way of nation
al1zing German religion revived the ancient
Teutonic mythology, and proclaimed the Ger
mans race of pure Aryans.
MENTAL and cultural unification was paral-
1V1 leled by a program of political and adj
mlniStrat1ve Capitalization. The old political
federalism which had been established by Bis
marck and had survived through the republican
days gave way to rather effectively central
lied state. Hitler thus brought to completion the
work of Bismarck in Unifying Germany.
On the positive side Hitlers work seemed at
the outset to vindicate the promises he had made
during his campaign to assume leadership in
Germany
He openly attacked the Treaty of Versailles,
announced that he no longer regarded it as
binding upon Germany and declared his de-
termination to re-arm Germany and bring her
up to military parity with the rest of the
major European states.
He made Understanding speeches and proc
lamatlons about national unions and the adj
vancement of the interests of the working
classes. At the same time he enlisted the 10y
atty OF the peasants by sweeping promises to
break up the great estates of the old Prussian
Junkers and to give the small farmers fair
shake.
RUT the opposition which was implicit and
- inevitable in the composite nature of the
Hitler movement soon came to the top
The monarchists were oisgruntled because
Hitler made it clear that he did not propose to
dim his own luster by calling back the kaiser
or any other Hohenzollern. Moreover the MON
archlst movement was recruited mainly from the
Prussian Junkers who we're alarmed at the pro-
posa! to encroach upon their feudal domains.
The great German industrialists and bankers.
While glad to see Hitler suppress Communism
were aroused by the talk about Specialization on
the part OF Hitler'S radical followers and by
Hitlers pronouncements with respect to national
unions: They were dismayed particularly over
Cne collapse OF German credit and foreign trade
aS result OF the antagoniSm and suspicion
stirred up by Hitler's crusade against the Jews
and his bellicose foreign policy
The industrial workers and the peasants for
tnelr part, found that Hitlers promises with re-
Spect to radicalism and social justice were
hollow SHAM Neither the great industrial trust
(cartels and syndicateS) or the banks were ma
tlonaIlzed and diStressingly little was done to
re-dlstribute the estates of the great land own
'--