Evening star., 1935-04-14
BY ALBIN E JOHNSON.

~ UR1CH.-The controversy over
disarmament and the tearing
up of the Versailles treaty by
A Berlin has taken the eyes of
the world off some very inter-
esting and significant developments
which are going on inside of Ger
many. Internal political conditions,
instead of moderating, appear to be
getting more and more chaotic across
the Rhine. and reports arriving daily
here and at other Swiss German bor-
der cities indicate reign of terror
Is beginning.
Political liberty has long been dead
In Germany, democracy passed with
the arrival of Hitler in Berlin and
personal freedom is rapidly dying
And, as the Nazis get away with one
after another diplomatic adventure
the intolerance and brutality of the
regime appear to increase.
The Inner circle" of Hitler is COM
pletely in the saddle. according to
well-founded information. Except for
DR.. Hjalmar Schacht. economic die
tator, and Gen. Won Blomberg, the
men surrounding Der Fuehrer are all
trusted Nazis. Schacht remains be-
cause Hitler cannot replace him and
Won Blomberg is becoming the most
rabid Nazi of them all as time passes.
Goebbels, Goring, HesSe, Frick, Strei-
cher-all sit on the right hand of
Hitler. Foreign Minister Won Neurath,
Minister of Agriculture Darre, ex-
Chancellor Won Papen, Hugenberg are
far in the ofing
"Drive" to Capture Church.
The most distressing development
is the resumption of the drive to cap
ture" the church. The Nazis have
already obtained complete control
over two Of the most powerful instru-
ments for forming and controlling
public opinion. namely. the press and
radio. The church-both Protestant
and Catholic-has resisted all at
tempts to Nazi-ize it. Faced with
difficulties in the Saar plebiscite, Hit
Ter ordered an armistice before the
Christmas holidays. Now that the
Saar has been safely joined to the
Fatherland, Reichsbishop Muller, Hit
ler'S personal friend, is again seeking
to bring the confessional synod under
his control. Muller has the Official
backing of Minister of Interior Frick
who has warned the bishops of Ba-
varia, Wurm and Meiser, that unless
they come to an understanding with
Muller and his lieutenant, DR.. Jaeger
the state will officially intervene.
The Catholics, who, it appears, re-
ceived some indefinite assurances be-
fore the Saar voting that there would
be no further persecution on part oi
the Nazis, are disillusioned The
venerable and scrappy Cardinal Faul-
haber OF Munich has been silenced
The bishops of Speyer and Treves
under whose Jurisdictions the Saar-
land falls, also are strangely silent
They were forced to command their
Pensioners in the Saar to vote for the
Fatherland. Now they have ample
reason for regrets.
400 Pastors Arrested.
Although reliable figures are not
available, it is said that at least 400
AoSNSSaiiO PocNOAS W0ic arrested IN
the recent cleanup" of irreconcil-
ables. Among them was the renowned
DR.. Niemuller. ex-submarine COM
mander and popular Berlin church
leader. The NaZis have officially for
hidden the clergy to refer. in sermons,
to the Nal Aryan Greed or criticize
anti-Jewish policies.
A recrudescence of anti-Jewish agi-
tation has also developed. So seri-
Gus did the Jew-baiting become in
Franconla that DR.. Julius Streicher
provincial premier and arch Jew
batter of them all, ordered a cessation
OF the persecution. Streicher banned
posters calling for 'pograms" and
stopped all anti-Jewish measures
other than those explicitly authorized
by himself in Franconia.
At the conclusion of the Saar pIe-
blsclte hundreds of Jews who had
sought refuge in Saarbrucken, be-
nev1ng the promises of Berlin that
tnere would be no disciplinary action
taken against them, returned to Ger
many. Scores were Immediately ar
rested and sent to prison or concen-
tration camps, others were warned to
leave Germany Immediately and a
few were unmolested.
One movement which is significant
Is the Modification" of the Reichs-
Wehr. Behind the governments de-
nunciation of the military clauses of
the Versailles treaty lay not only
desire to have a bigger standing army
but to have a Brownshirt army. The