Evening star., 1934-02-25
OATH MAY PLACE
HITLER ON THRONE
Thousands Take Pledge To-
day to Obey Nazi
Chieftain.
BY the Associated Press.

.
BERLIN. February 24.-Any time
after 1880 am. tomorrow Adolf Hitler
can proclaim himself Emperor Of Ger
many if he so chooses.
Through the Reich at that hour
every sixtieth German will pronounce
the following oath:
Il swear unshakable fidelity to Adolf
Hitler and unquestioning obedience to
him and the leader designated for me
by him."
The men and women who will thus
solemnly pledge their very lives to
Germany's chancellor dictator are all
amts-walter," or officers of the
numerous political, economic. profess
sional, social, and labor organizations,
which constitute the separate divisions
of the Nazi movement.
Won Hindenburg Fades.
| With the oath-taking, the venerable
President Paul Won Hindenburg, Ger
manys grand old man Of war and
peace, will virtually fade out Of the
picture.
Hitler will be the de facto sovereign
of Germany.
Those taking the all-embracing oath
will include, among others, $4,000
political party bosses. 10000 labor
officials, 205 900 Hitler youth leaders.
They will be connected by radio with
Munich, where thousands of Nazi de-
partment heads gathered on the four
teenth anniversary Of the founding Of
the Nazi party.
There Chancellor Hitler's personal
representative, Rudolf Hess, will take
the pledge.
More than a million-1 OF, 900 to
be exact-NaN functionaireS will
swear fealty In unison, with their
right hands raised in the Hitler
salute.
They will thereby duplicate what
more than 100000 Nazi storm troop
ers and steel helmet veterans have
automatically done when they Joined
the brown battalions, namely. give
a pledge which otherwise is given to
royalty only.
In all, more than 1000, 900 Germans
Or l citizen out of 15-will have
pledged absolute obedience to the
former Austrian corporal.
These four millions hold all the
power in the new Germany, except
that represented by the army.
But the army, too, is Hitler's in
strument, for since December !, 1888,
its oath is one of allegiance not to
the President or to the constitution,
but to people in the fatherland''-
and no army officer or private will
deny that Hitler represents the people.
In recent one-day session of
Parliament the government was au-
thorized, by decree. to change the
constitution.
Vote Plan Announced.
Speaking tonight in the beer cellar
hall where IA years ago he announced
to few followers Nazi program,
Hitler told an assemblage Of 5000
ardent followers that the annual
appeal to the nation would be held,
but he did not specify whether this
meant another plebiscite or elections.
In giving assurance Of Germany's
pacific intentions he said "a politi-
clan who has the backing of the
people will avoid bloodshed and
will appeal to national strength only
in case of emergency"
He went on:
"The Nazi movement domestically
will stay on the offensive.
I'VE know the whole nation is not
yet Nazi, but we will never permit
a situation to arise where we must
resort to violence. This would dis
sipate the nations energies"
He alluded to Austria and declared
that what is happening when there
is no courage to appeal to the people
is apparent IN the neighboring states"