Evening star., 1939-09-24

Germany's peacetime rulers are also
her wartime rulers. So far as can be
determined the outbreak of the conflict
in Europe has brought little change In
the German dictatorship.
| It was not necessary on September
to streamline the German government
for war. Almost from the very first the
Hitler regime has undertaken to convert
Germany into an armed camp. Britain
and France had perforce to make major
changes to put their respective nations
on war footing. But the Nazis have
been In a state of readiness for long
time.
Huge ornaments have been piled up.
Private enterprise has been socialized in
the interest of the party and the mill
tary, with complete economic mobiliza-
ton only step beyond what had already
been done. The cabinet is dominated
by military-minded men.
This does not mean, however, that
subtle alterations are not taking place
behind the blank wall that Nazi CEN
sorship has built up through the years.
And those subtle changes may eventually
Oe reHected In Lne heaQuneS.
| will Hitler Manage the War?
There Is, most important of all, the
relationship between Hitler, head of the
state and nominal head of the military
machine, and the technicians who must
run the war. Will Hitler try to direct
the war? At the German Embassy here
1T is said that the Fuehrer has far too
much common sense to try to be strate-
gist. He has gone to the front merely
to be an inspiration to the troops, not to
take over the conduct of the war. Never
theless, the old hostility between the gen.
erals and the politicians still exists.
No. l man is. of course, Adolf Hitler.
No. is Gen. Goering. The No. soldier
is 1t. Gen. Keitel, whose duty it is to
coordinate the German armed forces.
No 2 soldier is Col Gen Won Brauchitsch
A defense council has been set up in
Germany It consists of Hitler, Goering
Keitel, Rudolf Hess, chief of the Nazi
party and minister without portfolio;
Wilhelm Frick, minister of interior;
Walter Funk, minister of economics,
and Heinrich hammers, secretary of the
chancellery and minister without
| portfolio. In this list are the expected
names, but also there are others un-
familiar to the public
The importance of Goering's role in
Germany today could scarcely be
exaggerated. In certain respects, so far
as the actual capacity to exercise power
is concerned, Goering would seem to be
| tv,ovN
This would appear to be true if only be-
cause Goering, unlike any one else in the
regime, including Hitler himself, exer-
cises power in both the political and
military fields.
Holds Varied Posts.
The fat general with all the uniforms
| is minister of aviation He also has the
title of air marshal and is the active,
technical director of the air force. He is
prime minister of Prussia And most
important of all, perhaps. he is at the
head of the four-year plan, in charge of
economic mobilization.
In the past the Prussian military has
been under legal compulsion to keep out
Of politics. A strict law separated the
politicians from the generals. A
separatist tradition became a part of
the code of the military caste The gen.
erals might lend their support to
particular regime, as they did to the
Nazis, but they looked down upon
politicians with something like con-
tempt. Not long ago Gen. Werner Won
Blomberg was forced to retire because
he had incurred the emnity of the re-
gime. This action was deeply resented
within the military caste. On both sides
there has been mutual distrust.
This background makes the Importance
of Goering's position, with one foot in
the camp of the military and one foot in
the government, quite obvious He can
pass from one sphere to the other with
the confidence of both sides. Moreover,
Hitler has named Goering as his success
sor should the Chancellor be casualty
OF the war. To say that Goering is pre-
pared to take over is an understatement.
Intensely ambitious, it is not by accident
that he has reached his present position
of power.
Hess Next in Line.
Next in line to the crown, Hitler named
Hess his right-hand man in directing
the Nazi party. Little known outside
Germany, Hess has had vital part in
relating the party to the life OF the ma
ton. What has happened is that the
party has now gained control of the en-
tire German economy. Party men have
been insinuated into key positions not
only in the state, but in business and
industry. The state is supreme and the
party is the state. Hess Is the man who
has brought about this revolutionary
change.