Evening star., 1934-06-19
Rift in the Nazi Lutte.

hlIL III INC NAIL AutC'
Nothing more significant has been
permitted to ooze out of Nazi Ger
many in many day than the speech
delivered at Marburg last Sunday by
Vice Chancellor Won Pspen. 1t Is
the boldest and frankest utterance
yet to emanate from any responsible
spokesman Of the National Socialist
government. A sufficient proof of its
gravity is supplied by the fact that
the oficially controlled press was not
permitted to publish the slightest ex-
cerpt from the address, which was
couched in terms Of almost incredible
candor.
Col. Won Papen heads the nnoderates
in the Hitler cabinet and has con-
sistently maintained an attitude of
independence as against the radical
Nazi group represented by the chan
cellor and his chief coadjutors, Messrs
Goering, Goebbels. Frick and Roehm.
The vice chancellor minced no words
in condemning Nazi policies. He de-
nounced the governments attempts
to impose its will in the realm of
religion and severely CRITICIZED the
muzzling Of the press. He raked fore
and aft the Hitlerite theory Of q one
party-ruled state and castigated the
reign of terrorism and arroeance"
which has grown up under cover of
the German revolution. The vice
chancellor disclosed that he is under
constant pressure from elements
which demand that take q positive
stand concerning events transpiring
in Germany and the conditions OBJ
tanning here" and added that lit
would be a mortal sin, both from
the human and the statesmans point
Of view, not to say what must be said
at this decisive juncture."
While Col. Won Papen did not OPEN
ly advocate restoration of the mon
archy, his speech Is regarded as a
veiled plea for return of the royal
system. He attacked the radical So
cialist experiments Nazidom has in
troduced as opposed to the ideal of
"the real peoples state" As an init
mate Of President Won Hindenburg,
who appointed him chancellor of the
last pre-Nazi government, Won Papen
is believed on the present occasion
to represent the old field marshal's
views, which are known to be hostile
to the extremist Nazi program, es-
pecially its religious aspect. Coinci-
dent with the vice chancellor's plain
speaking comes announcement of the
resignation of Count Rudolf Won
Nadolny As German Ambassador to
the Soviet Union, marking the first
detection from government ranks
since the retirement of DR.. Alfred
Hugenberg a year ago as minister of
agriculture and economics. Count
Nadolny was chief German delegate
at Geneva until the Reich bolted the
League. There have long been re-
ports that Baron Won Neurath, foreign
secretary, Is out Of tune with Nazi
domestic policies, which have now
ramified into Germanys foreign rela-
tions by wrecking her export trade
and causing suspension of the Reich's
international debt payments, against
which the United States has just
launched a vigorous protest at Berlin
1t would be premature to deduce
from any Of these developments that
the Hitlerite autocracy has begun to
crumble. But Col. Won Papen's amaz-
ing outburst is undeniable evidence of
rift in the Nazi lutte. While the
Marburg speech was being published
in America, DR.. Hanfstaengl, Chan
cellor Hitler's personal lieutensnt,
now attending his Harvard class re-
union, was saying at Cambridge, "The
position of the Jew in Germany is
going to be normal, quite normal, be-
fore long. Everything is going to be
better" Just what Interpretation is
to be placed on that cryptic remark
is not certain, but with the vice
chancellor of the Reich breathing
public damnation of the fundamentals
of the Naz system, with Germany's
foremost diplomat quitting the serv-
ice, with Herr Hitlsr himself pledg-
ing Premier Mussolini to abandon
compulsory union with Austria-these
events, singly or together, constitute
handwriting on the wall that cannot
be ignored or underestimated.
The stage is unmistakably set at
Berlin for events of magnitude, though
they may not Immediately manifest
themselves in their full import.