Evening star., 1934-07-01
CURIOUS THR0NG
BERLIN STREETS
Police Stand Guard as Eager
Citizens Seek News
of Events.

Copyright. 1894. by the Associated Press.
BERLIN, June 30.-Wlth the cool
of Summer evening made tense by
squads of armed police and the pres
ence of machine guns, this capital
city was facing tonight the possibility
of a new unnamed, underlined political
event.
Crowds of curious spectators, only
partly informed as to events through
limited press dispatches, surged up
and down the WilhelmStraSSe, where
public buildings were massed with
police ready to keep them on the
move
In front of the home of Capt. Ernst
Roehm, depoSed leader of the storm
troops, were bristling truckloads of
Vice Chancellor Goering's special
police.
Police Ready to Act.
Never in the history of Berlin have
so many police appeared in the streets
at one time with such obvious
readiness for action.
In addition to the regular police
force, augmented by armed reserves,
there was the steel-helmeted, green
clad police of Vice Chancellor Goering.
The sudden appearance of police
machine gun detachment, with am
munition ready, in historic Potsdammer
Platz, brought a final touch to the
grimnesS of the situation. while the
sight of another similar detachment
riding up and down Unter Den Linden
left no doubt in the public mind as to
the nature of the emergency period.
News was at premium. Every
where citizens were rushing avidly for
available early editions of newspapers.
Reactions to the news were various
and could be read at will on the faces
of newspaper readers. Persons obvi-
ously of a conservative mind Wreathed
their faces in smiles as they read
what had happened. Persons of other
mind read their papers with tight
Tipped frowns.
No specific reaction or feeling could
be detected among the storm troopers
themselves. Openly questioned by re-
porterS on the streets. members of the
brown army would do no more than
indicate. with Obvious suspicion. as. to
the question, that 'Hitler's orders are
orders, and Lutte is taking Roehm'S
place, isn't hep"
Many of the storm troopers made
no secret. on the other hand. of
Roehm's popularity, nCr of the faGt
that today's events came as a definite
shock.
No evidence of the ReichsWehr
German army could be seen up to
a late hour, but it was reported that
a battery of Reichswehr tanks were
being assembled around the outskirts
of the city. ready to roll into action
at a moments notice.
Garrulous taxi drivers. most of
them having served in the war, were
willing to talk, but their remarks in
evitably ended with shrug of the
shoulders.
"Roehm Was Popular"
"Roehm was popular. very popular.
with his men," declared one young
man who served four years at the
front. "Maybe-but wait and see"
This was an indication. the way he
meant it, that trouble within may not
be over This attitude was general.
as was apparent in conversation with
men whose sympathies we're different
Nazi salutes were sitter than ever
as powerful automobiles loaded with
storm troop leaders roared down the
street.
The boulevards were crowded to a
far later hour than usual as Berlin
talked, walked, and pondered, with
discussion of what was in store for
the future once again at fever pitch.