Evening star., 1938-03-27
A. P. Photo.

standing by with Hitler and Marshal
Blomberg, you can't see your foot-your
stomach's in the way"
At a reception woman friend Of
Goerings asked him audibly, following one
of these clashes: Why do you allow the
dwarf to gibe you?" The huge Prussian
shrugged. "A monkey can't see lion
without wanting to chatter at it." When
that was brought to Goebbels, he said:
Find out if his Excelency has bought one
of the Office boys from my department.
He can't have thought up that all by
hirnselfl'
Trouble arose about their place in the
hierarchy. Hitler. adroit politician, solved
the problem. When he drives with them,
the Reichsfuehrer sits little in advance,
in a seat with a bar for him to hold as he
stands, giving the Nazi salute. Nazis Two
and Three sit side by side on the back
seat the latter on a cushion and on the
outside, so that the formers bulk shall not
emphasize Goebbels' meager physique.
Goebbels blue-pencils Hitler occasionally
the Leader, warmed up, shouts things which
it is impolitic to print) but is himself
sometimes gagged. Lately, in a speech he
complained that lone is no longer allowed
to say what one thinks!" Backstage, there
had been a clash over high policy. One
enemy at a time-this is the Hitler and
army principle. Hitler and the generals
want to neutralize Britain in the next
Italian. He had been muzzled lest Britain.
nibbling at the bait, shy away again.
Military Men Dislike Him.
The army needs Hitler; and Hitler and
his regime need Goebbels, the astute editor,
idea man, master Of showmanship,
propaganda genius. But the Reichswehr
generals, the military caste men. do not
like Goebbels, and the Nibelung keeps away
from the Reichswehr. A thumbnail sketch
against the background Of the Nuremberg
Party Congress high lights that:
It is the last day and the Reichswehr is
giving its show In the Zeppelin Field the
generals are drawn up to receive the Fueh-
rer To reach their place the Nazi hier-
archs have to pass down the line Of profess
sional warriors. First comes Capt. Gen.
Goering, waddling, smothered in decora-
tions, fat arm extended in salute; the gen.
erals smile, none salute. Last somes Hitler,
Iron Cross on plain brown uniform; and
the warriors spring to attention and salute
the inspirer of "the fighting herd" who is
giving them willing instead of reluctant
cannon fodder.
Sandwiched between Goering and Hitler
comes the Nibelung, Imping, broomstick
arm stifly extended, small lean face rigid
under peaked cap that looks too big for
him-the willy dwarf forced to salute the
grim, obtuse, straight Siesfried men he de-
spises, and in his secret soul desperately,
despairingly, envies. They look coldly and
contemptuously at the politically powerful
dwarf Mass-mind boss for 364 days Of the
year, this 365th day is Joseph Goebbels'
purgatory.
He sweats under those Siegfried eyes, and
with cause. This is revolutionary regime.
Germany is in transition Nazi-ism is serv-
ing technical purpose; its present masters
may yet go the way of the masters of the
French Revolution and Of the Russian Rev.
olution. Goering has Praetorian Guard,
1000 strong, his air ministry fortified and
gunned, barbedwire entanglements around
his Berlin residence. The Reichswehr
chiefs have recognized that their destiny
is entwined with Hitler's, and Hitler, be-
sides, has his Praetorian Guard and his vast
popularity.