Evening star., 1935-02-24
BY RANDOLPH LEIGH.

~ ERLIN.-I have spent almost
- month in peering into this
maelstrom Of emotion, energy
- and resolution called New
Germany. In one way it is
Q surprisingly easy country in which
to get information for, while no one
wishes to be quoted. nearly everybody
Is eager to talk The problem, there
fore, Is one of drawing proper con-
clusions from variety of viewpoints.
In collecting these viewpoints
have talked with members of the dip
lomatic and consular staffs stationed
here, with resident and transient
Americans, with German porters,
guides, laborers, clerks and business
men. have talked Ohough not on
politics. to a niece of the former
Kaiser. In addition, I have seen the
top men in the German government
and have talked at some length with
several of them. Finally, have Wis
tied IL widely-separated communi-
ties, ranging from bustling Hamburg
and Strident Berlin in the north to
Rothenburg- -on-Tauber in the south,
GUN oACOPlly 1ilCNACNd1 Ill lOo OCIllpO dS
well as in its architecture.
Pulling Together.
Germany, of course, is not all of
one mind, but, for that matter, what
nation is in these tense times? 1t is,
however, probably more nearly so than
any other major civilized nation.
Therein lies the Importance of much
that Is tranSpiring here. I was in
Italy in the year following Musso-
lini's rise, and I am certain that
Germany today is in a higher state
Of fervent emotionalism than Italy
was at that time, or has been since.
The energy expressing itself here in
all directions-Scientific. musical, lit
erary, educational, industrial, mill
tary, social, etc. etc-is amazing,
even to an American. Above all there
Is resolve-grim, unshakable, ready
for any Sacrifice-to regain the great
ness of Germany. That resolve ex-
presses the real religion of Germany
and 1t has millions of devotees as
fervent as any that ever followed a
Mohammed or a Buddha.
Opposition Trifiing.
Over against these ardent nation
alists there are, doubtless, thousands
Of internationalistS, Communists,
skeptics and realists (not to imply
that they are all the same) who re-
gard the present regime as economic
and social lunacy, booming Germany
to greater degradation in the long
run. These, however, are hopelessly
outnumbered and are, themselves, de-
void OF hope and. therefore, of any
capacity for effective leadership.
Between the Hitlerites and the
Communists there are the usual fringe
elements, some half apologize for
the past and others half afraid for
the future. And as in every land,
even in the midst of the most acute
crises, there are thousands who stand
entirely aloof from all political issues.
AS to what portion of the popula-
ton is fully and fervently behind
Hitler (regardless of their individual
miSgivingS as to various details of the
whole vast program) no one really
knows. My own guess would be some
where between 10 and 80 per cent.
Furthermore. they are about the most
resolute set Of devoteees that I have
ever seen.
Grune Woche (green week, the
great farm and field exhibition held
annually in Berlin) came to a close
a few days ago. During its progress
I had an opportunity to observe
peasants and toWnsfolk from all parts
Of Germany as they poured through
the seven immense exhibition halls
They were interested in the horse
show and the cavalry jumping tests
lin which one of the most famous
riders was killed. and, of course. in
the drills. They thronged the cow
testing sections and the poultry and
dog shows. But they also stood in
eager groups before the gigantic prop
uganda pictures on the walls of all
the halls--for the present regime is
evangelical as well as hard listed, and
ceaselessly strives to teach it's full doc
trine to all the people Its ministry
Of propaganda is one of the largest in
the government)
Those towering pictures set forth
vividly the goals of Hitlerism-racial
solidarity, racial advancement and
racial sternness, too
Many Pictures Presented.
There were arguments with actual,
life-size photographs of horrible ex-
amples of down-breeding) for steril-
iZation Of degenerate and criminal
Teutonic strains. There were also
picturizations of the drainage, recla-
nation and other projects affecting
farms and villages, as we'll as car
toons explaining the farm loan system
and its results. In addition, there
were statistics (made palatable by
clever and often humorous drawings
alongside) covering nearly every phase
Of German life, including age groups,
health groups, wealth groups. occu-
pational groups, etc.