Evening star., 1938-03-27
The Brains Behind Hitler
Dwarke Dr. Joseph Goebbes Has Hes
Win Popularity for Himself
BY PETER FORREST.


N NAZI circles in Berlin they are saving
privately that the man most relieved
/ by the politicos swift coup and triumph
over the Potsdam generals is not Hitler,
but Goebbes. The army men had no use
for the clubfooted little wizard who operates
the keys pedals and stops of the mighty
understanding engine which Berliners
call-including the operator in the term
"the foghorn."
A curious phenomenon, DR.. Joseph Goeb-
bels, Nazi minister of propaganda and pub
| lie enlightment In the Hitler WARRIOR
| state, with its cult Of the soldier qualities,
| strong bodies and straight limbs, he, with
long head and puny body, looks like a
Nibelung who has crept up from his misty
cavern into sunlight, and attached himself
to Siegfried tribe which has use for the
| spells he knows how to weave.
1t Is characteristic Of his gnomish psy-
chology that everything he touches must
assume gigantic proportions. His ministry
is Berlin's biggest. His torchlight process
sions must be miles long; the swastika
| symbols at party rally, as big as house.
| He is not content with 10000 banners
massed to move in broad streams OF gold,
| white, black, red through avenues formed
by 100000 brown-shirted Nazi leaders; he
| plans larger and more stunning spectacles.
But the peak Of his size -obsession is his
aspiration to play Frankenstein role in
| Hitler-land and transform 66,00000O hu-
| man beings into single unit receptive and
obedient only to the vast blare projected
over the totaltarian state by the "foghorn"
he controls.
His Task Is to Subjugate Minds.
1t is the task Of Hitler, the emotional, to
| conquer the Germanc soul; it is the task
| Of Goebbels, calculating intellectual, to sub
| jugate the Germanic mind by drum-f fire
| of propaganda which assaults eye and ear
| increasingly, wearing down resistance and
crumbling and destroying reason.
| Trained in seven universities, he failed
as creative writer, turned to journalism,
| and, at rs, found Hitler. He perceived i'm
mediately the power of the man and the
attractive adventurousness Of the move
ment. He joined Hitler founded Nazi
branches in the Ruhr and Rhneland, and
within four years was made Berlin leader
and national propaganda chief.
His energy was, and is terrific In the big
days of 1882, which he noted accurately as
the now w-or-never year (the slump through
year, which brought an American-type re-
volt in the United States in the form of the
New DeaD he worked standing, walking
driving, flying, conferring on the stairs in
the hall. at the door, on the way to airport
or station. weaving his wasp-like way
through . bewildering labyrinth of mass
meetings. Reichstag uproars, street fights,
secret conclaves, political assassinations-
his only relief brief interlude Of opera.
A revolution to Wagnerian music!
He learned from Rome the Use Of spec
tacle, music, color. Moscow supplied the
inventions Of propaganda cell, wall news
paper, radio. He added his own devices
He created the Hitler myth. His insistence
on avoiding reason and appealing to the
primitive instinct Of the tribal mass has
helped as much as Hitler's oratory and
personality to put the Nazis where they are.
His own power Of rhetoric is remarkable,
his command Of hyperbole astonishing
Sometimes he waves his arms wildly An
Anglo-Saxo correspondent who saw him
ending q 2la-hour speech in the latter
mood, said he had always wondered why
the Goebbels journal was called "Angriff,"
and now he knew: 1t was short for angry
griffin" The remark got back to Cob
bels, and, soon after, that correspondent
was ordered out Of Maitland. The propa-
ganda minister, who can hand it out, can
not take it.
Lampooned Mercilessly
Editors in the Nazi struggle days LAM
pooned Goebbels mercilessly He retorted
III his "Angrif"-and in 1881 was sentenced
to fine and q month on several counts of
libel and slander.
After the March, 1893, elections, which
made the Nazis masters of Germany, Goeo-
bels had one of his happy days. He staged
visit to his mother in her home town Of
Rheydt. He saw to 1t that the whole town
was turned upside down: an ocean of flags
few and the population lined the streets
cheering Frau Goebbels' talented and now
powerful son. He was SO.
Films and radio were not under his hand.
Prussian Premier Goering claimed control
Of the Prussian press. Goebbels began to
burrow into his colleagues territories. Up
to the spring Of 1896 there were constant
clashes Then Hitler intervened and con-
firmed the Goebbels dictatorship over the
following spheres Of national life: National
holidays state ceremonies, press, broadcast
ing, national hymns, plastic and graphic
arts, music, theater, cinema. literature, ex-
hibitions trade fairs, advertising A for
midable power! The dwarf became master
of Germany's eyes and ears. His domina-
ton Of the nations cultural life, under Hit
Ter, was complete. He now has one party
worker trained in propaganda for every
fifteen families in the Reich.
He is the great phrasemaker of the Nazis
When he cried, I'VE can well do without
souri, was one of the most violent ornaments