Evening star., 1938-10-05
BY VINCENT SHEEAN.

Oy t1NCLNI SuEEANs
KARlSBAD, Oct. 8 (N.AN.A).-
Tho new master Of Europe came to
Karlsbad yesterday to take possession
Of his newest realm. The capital of
SudetenIand was transformed with
miraculous speed from a small pro-
vincial town under martial law-which
It had been until 6 o'clock in the
morning-into crowded city blazing
with swastikas and filled with the
martial pomp of the most formidable
Of all the powers.
Chancellor Hitler entered the city
early in the afternoon and spoke from
the balcony of the Municipal Theater
for 10 minutes. At the time of his
arrival, all the machinery of military
preparation and party enthusiasm had
been thrown into play to transform
Karlsbad SO that the once sleepy
watering place became a reproduction
of the Nazi capital on great occasion.
The transformation and preparation,
. supreme effort Of efficiency, seemed
to be more interesting than Hitlers
brief emotional speech.
Passed Czech Soldiers.
We left Prague in the morning and
passed without difficulty three columns
Of Czechoslovak soldiers, police and
gendarmerie, who were just leaving
. the Karlsbad district. The last of
the Czechoslovak military seemed tired
and hungry and surprised that we
wanted to go on. But they let us go.
AS we came over the rim of hills
inclosing Karlsbad We saw the first
swastikas, men on ladders and women
hanging out of windows draping their
houses with streamers of violent red.
Salutes and shouts of Hell, Hitler!"
greeted us all the way down the hill
. We had not passed the first three
houses before we were warned by
shouts to drive to the right instead
Of to the left, as in Czechoslovakia.
; Everybody seemed to be in high
spirits, and every such order or di-
rection was given with a laugh. A
Jewish hospital at the foot of the
hill was closed and shuttered, and a
: big Jewish old peoples home next to
it already was hung with swastika
flags.
When we drove into the city we saw
the first carload of Reichswehr Off
GERS coming in being greeted by the
ecstatic cheers of people along the
streets. A few advance guard off,
cials had come in on the heels of the
CZechoslovaks to take charge, and
there were several big trucks Of the
propaganda service laden with swas-
tika flags Of all sizes.
Gardens Are Removed.
We went down to the theater square,
where Hitler was to speak, and there
observed preparations of extraordi-
nary swiftness and efficiency. The mu-
nicipal gardens before the theater
were being removed before our eyes
trees and plants were uprooted, and
the whole thing smoothed out into q.
square where people could stand.
Men, women and children worked un-
der the Orders of local Nazi chiefs.
Meanwhile on the mountain top
which towers directly above the thea
ter-known in Karlsbad as Friend
ship Height"-workmen were building
great swastikas of white cloth on a
peak, place crowning all the leg
ends for Karlsbad people, a swastika
was installed alongside cruciflx On
the municipal theater itself a dra-
matte arrangement of huge red swas-
tikas commanded the whole square.
For two hours, Reichswehr troops
came pouring in in great trucks fes-
TONED with flowers, carrying punches
of flowers on their rifles and helmets
and with all the girls in the crowd
stretching eagerly to touch their hands
as they passed. Then tanks began
to move in. Loudspeakers began to
announce the .Fuehrers progress from
Eyer and to admonish the crowds
The whole thing was executed with
such precision and order, it might have
been directed for super-movie.
Preceded by Sound Truck.
We installed ourselves in the Golden
Shield Hotel, directly opposite the
theater Loudspeakers announced "the
Fuehrer is in Karlsbad." Preceded by
a sound-truck, the Fuehrer entered
the square. announced by prolonged
cheers. Hitler, a small and infinitely
straight figure in brown uniform, got
out of his car while the band played
Deutschland Ueber Allies" and the
Horst Vessel Song.
The Fuehrer walked out on the bal
cony and five minutes later, signaled
for silence. Karl Hermann Frank, the
local lNazi leader. addressed him.
"Mein Fuehrer, with the thanks of
your people, you have united us in
the Reich and taken us home" And
the crowd chanted, I'VE thank our
Fuehrer."
Hitler's speech was 10 minutes of
deeply emotional address to people
who, he said, suffered and endured
humiliation for their freedom "You
have made your last sacrifice" he told
them. you are safe at home in the
Reich"
The ceremony was over in half an
hour and the Fuehrer left Karlsbad.
tCopyrisht. 1888. by the North Americn
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)