Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-21
By Mary.Carter Roberts.

has wondered. with nostalgia
for her lost youth, what had
L become of a marvellous CO.
median who was famous in her high
school days and who. subsequently,
seemed to disappear from the face of
the earth. He had a long horselike
countenance and great black eyes
which burned with inarticulate re-
proach against an incomprehensible
universe. He never changed his ex-
preston; he met all situations with
the same look of hurt and somehow
childlike solemnity. If the reviewer
remembers rightly. he was the original
pioneer OF the dead pan" school.
Anyway, he was incompatible. His
name was Buster Keaton.
As said, the reviewer has wondered
In recent years where this genius was
concealing himself. And now she
knows. Mr.. Keaton, clearly. has been
in Germany. He has been writing
this present book, the "Nazi Primer,
the text by which young shirts are
instructed in the art Of becoming
brown. For, as a piece of pure dead
pan comicality it is an utterly perfect
accomplishment. Nobody but Buster
Keaton could have written it. And it
has been written. Therefore, by any
logic, Buster wrote it. 1t should go
resounding down the corridors Of time
as his greatest masterpiece.
It is a little book 1t contains only
about $50 pages. But what rare. price
less absurdity is packed in that little
space!
The account begins with supposed
exposition of the ways in which the
German race differs from other races.
proceeds from this to claim that Ger
mans are superior to all other breeds
of human beings, and goes on to a
history" of the movements of this
superior German race from the dawn
of memory down to the present. 1t is
enlightening to read, in this soberly-
styled, matter-o f-fact-seeming work,
that the ancient Greeks were Ger
mans, and that they owed all their
culture and civilization to the fact
that their forbears had come out of
Germany. And not only the Greeks
were thus descended. says the
Primer" So were all the really great
peoples of antiquity
The circumstance that it is con-
tradicting itself does not worry the
Primer" at all. 1t abounds with
contradiction, as a matter of fact. In
one place, for example, it dwells on
Germany's need for colonies, saying
that she needs room in which to ex-
pand, for the reason that her popula-
ton is too great for her territory.
Then, in a chapter given to explain
ing the Nazi demand for large fami-
lies, it says that the population Of
the Reich is actually diminishing, and
that if the birth rate does not have a
substantial upward turn, the country
will depopulate itself.
On the one hand nation bursting
through its borders because of over
crowding, and on the other a nation
in danger of depopulation because of
a falling birth rate! 1t is bit hard
to reconcile these two pictures.
Similarly. the book presents the
history of the German people as a
constant spreading out over Europe
and winning of land by Germans
from tribes already occupying it. This
land, once procured. says the Primer, ="
was invariably improved by German
methods. Often. it declares, the Ger
mans met with opposition in their
efforts to find new lands for them
selves and so had to proceed to fight.
There were years and years. says the
Primer" of hard fighting, in which
the Germans slowly pushed back the
other people and took possession of the
soil This is represented as being q
public-spirited and noble endeavor.
The Germans are called always
brave" and "determined' and the
like while the enemies are blamed for
their wicked efforts to retain their
homes and farms
Yet when the history deals with
encroachments on German territory
by other peoples. the idea of invasion
is held up to moral adherence. Moth
ing could then be worse
The book actually is the text used
In teaching the young in Germany
today. Until they are IA, we are told
by Mr.. Childs in his preface, German
boys and girls get their education
in history from this perverted work.
At the age of 10 they join the Hitler
Youth. At IS they are put under
intensive training in physical educa-
ton and the national socialist world
view" At 10 the boys are subjected
to selective process in order that
the $4,000 most promising may be
taken into the party. Girls are allowed
no further education. AS part of
the initiation to party membership the
boys are required to subscribe to IL
principles, the first of which is THE
Leader is always right" But, whether
youth is selected for party member
ship or not, he is required, at the age
of Is, to give six months to the labor
service and later two years to military
training. After this the young Ger
mans, so trained, go to universities or
into private life. as they choose.
Those who have become members
Of the party, however, and are %
years Of age, and have seen active
service in party administration may
apply for membership to the National
Socialist Order of Leaders One thou
sand are selected yearly and given
elaborate education and training for
four years. Four castles, Mr.. Childs
tells us, are maintained by the govern
ment as residences and schools for
the future leaders. in each of which
the group spends year. The atmos-
phere of these places. he says. is
severe and monastic One-third of
the students time in this postgraduate
work Is devoted to training in the
national socialist world view"
Well, apparently that view can be
described 50 that any foreigner may
grasp it with much less than four
years study. 1t consists. by Primer"
evidence, in the simple belief that
whatever Germany does IS beautiful,
noble. selfiess, disinterested, and aimed
at producing better world, and that
q pvt hjno at oil that anu ofhor ,,ou,er