The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-09
Liberal Viewpoint
: BY DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

" the light of the critical role which events
in Central Europe are bound to play in the
destiny Of the world during the coming decade,
the more light We can get on the issues and
policies involved in Nazi Germany the better.
50 much stress has been laid upon Hitlers
activities with respect to anti-Semitism and
treaty revision that few have been able to Sc
cure the proper perspective on the social and
economic background Of the Nazi movement.
Ernst Henri's recent book Hitler over En-
rope" Simon and Shuster, $3.50 makes a real
effort to overcome this single track emphasis
and TO look at al sides Of the Nazi movement.
Thence, much importance attaches TO a spe-
cial supplementary 1oreWord to the book which
the author cabled to America after the recent
German outbreak. He reveals clearly that the
underlying conflict which provoked the recent
massacre IS one between the arrogant Ruhr IN
dustriallstS, led by Herr ThysSen, and the mass
of middle-class Brown Shirts who are demand
ing that Hitler fulfill his promise to do some
thing tor the German underdOg.
Here is Henrls analysis of what has recently
happened in Germany, It's causes and probably
consequences.
The masses Of the radical middle class, and
the cohorts Of the Storm Troop generals i'm
PEELED by them, wanted TO revolt; the triumvirate
Hitler Goring- Goebbels and the terrorist guard
them IN order to save the dictatorship OF the
solitary real and secret power Of National So
ciaLsn; the dictatorship of ThySsen, the man
Of coal and Of steel, the commander OF the
formidable RUM monopoly.
MOT tor nothing was Hitler in Essen one
~ day before the slaughter. Rohm fell by
order of Thyssen. He was a hOmeOSeXual psy-
chopath. a gangster Of giant dimensions, muir
derer of many hundreds of workers. Socialists
and Jews.
But at least he was the official spokesman
for millions Of petty bourgeois, small traders,
peasants, proletarian and semi-proletarian I'M
employed, whose sons were under his COM
mand and were protesting more and more loudly
against their misery and against Hitlers treach-
cry
He wanted to utilize their demands and
their ideas-the ideas Of the Second Revolu-
tion-in order to realize his old fantastic mer-
cenary soldiers d1eamS-in order to become,
from generalissimo Of the S. A. the marshal
and Napoleon Of Germany, climbing even
higher than Hitler himself.
He demanded arrangement from the reac-
ton, the fulhllment Of the promises made to
the middle class, the absorption of the reichs-
Wahr by the Brown Shirts, the removal of Cor
ing. the subsection of Hitler.
1t was the last attempt Of the cOllapsing
middle class to save its revolution, its last at
tempt on Fascist lies. Rohm and his generals,
pressed back by Black Shirts and GOrlng, utlI-
lied the opportunity for themselves.
ON June 80 everything was ready. And then
~ came the vengeance Of the fifth power.
The black guard of monopoly capital closed
around Hitler, Goring and Goebbels and put the
leaders Of the radical middle class up against
the wall.
What now after June 80? Germany has en-
tered a revolutionary period. On the one hand
Hitler is being driven more and more and
faster and faster to the side of reaction, to the
side Of trusts, the Teichswehr and the secret po-
lice. On the other hand the approach Of the
betrayed S. A. millions toward the proletarian
revolutionares will become complete.
I'VE repeat with increased emphasis the al
tentative that We put forward at the end of this
book Jan. 3, 1888 was the first stage of the
inevitable dynamic Of national socialism. June
80, 1884, the second. The third stage will be
either the death of Hitler and the Socialist
revolution, Or the European conflagration."