Evening star., 1938-04-25
L'Honntne Fatal
Franz Won Papen, the Political Typhoid Mary, Adds
Another Victim to Long List

So the German foreign office sent
him to Syria, where he left some more
information lying around for idiotic
Englishmen to pick up. But he suf-
fered for his country. Desert tents
are uncomfortable.
He lived to become chancellor Of
Germany In the early sos and to
perform another feat OF q fast horse.
man and hazardeur. He kicked out
the Prussian republican government.
Won Papen as chancellor had, Of
course, one notable foreign success.
He had cashed in on his predecessors s
brilliant diplomacy. DR.. Bruening had
gotten the League powers to the point
where they were willing to abrogate
reparations. Won Papen, who with
Hindenburg had intrigued to throw
out "the greatest German chancellor
since Bismarck" signed the papers
at Lausanne. and smilingly took the
credit.
Just the same his government was
strangely unpopular at home. In Sep
tember, 1882, things had reached such
pass that it was impossible to hold
his government or form another coali-
ton. The Reichstag met, with the
xtremists-Comm and Nazis-
stronger than ever. The party lead
ers had, however, agreed to adjourn
the Reichstag for week and see If
coalition couldn't be formed. The
Communists and the Nazis had
planned, however, to move vote OF
confidence. and thus force an
other election, in which they hoped to
build up more power. Won Papen
wasn't worried. He had something up
his sleeve-an order from the Presi-
dent dissolving the Reichstag. Un-
fortunately 1t wasn't up his sleeve
but in his brief case.
The critical moment came. He rose
to administer the coup de grace to
Nazi and Communist hopes. But-he
had forgotten the brief case! When it
arrived, and he laid the Presidents
document on the speakers table, the
president of the Reichstag, Mr.. Goer-
ing, ignored it.
Upstart Hitler.
So, eventually, he intrigued to get
Hitler into the cabinet-why not? A
few aristocrats and soldiers. like Gen.
Won Schleicher and himself, could
easily control an upstart Bohemian
house painter, nest ce pas?
Hitler became chancellor with q
few party members in the cabinet.
That was all he needed. After that
the Reichstag fire, new elections,
revolution!
The revolution wasn't made by
gentlemen, and Won Papen didn't
care much for it. Still, there were
cards to play. "Revolutionists destroy
each other"
Hitler was intrigued against, with
the army. of course, and the really
revolutionary Brown Shirts under
Capt. Roehm. The revolutionary
pervert led the attack from the left:
Won Papen assisted from the right,
in an elegant speech on German con-
servatism, delivered at Marburg. Its
author was another aide-Edgar Jung,
a Catholic philosopher. On June 80,
1884, Hitler rounded up all the dis
contents in one vast blood bath. Jung
was shot: so was Bose, Won Papen's
secretary. But not Won Papen. The
old President was still alive, and he
adored Won Papen.
And after that he became AmbaS-
sador to Vienna.
Why the Trip?
Which brings Us down to the pres
ent. And raises the question: Why
did Chancellor Schuschnigg go to
Berchtesgaden. and why is Won
Papen's secretary, Baron Won Ketteler
dead in the Vienna woods?
Herr Won Papen, Of course, was sup