Evening star., 1940-07-07
Conquering Fuehrer
Rides on Carpet Of
Flowers in Berlin
Hitler, Back From War,
Given Unprecedented
Welcome by Capital
BY LOUIS p. LOCHNER,

BY LOUIS p. LOCHNER,
Associated Press War Correspondent
BERLIN, July 6.-Adolf Hitler
came back from his conquests today
to ride across vast carpet of flowers
and hear the tumult of a welcome
such as Berlin had never seen
before.
The proportions of this home
coming were Napoleonic-the. press,
in fact, in an article written by
Hitler's own press Tchief, DR.. Otto
Dietrich, compared the Fuehrer to
both Napoleon and Caesar.
have ridden behind Hitler many
times-at Nurnberg party conven-
tions, when he entered Danzig last
September, when he returned vic
torious from the Austrian Anschluss.
There always has been enthusi-
asm, but today it was different.
The distinguishing feature was
the complete abandon with which
the population cheered, waved flags
and cried Hell"
I had feeling that those hun
dreds of thousands who lined the
streets were happy, at long last, to
have a chance to blow off steam.
The Norwegian campaign had
come and gone and yet Berlin con-
tinued its wartime, work-day
existence.
Holland and Belgium were con-
quered, but nothing beyond a dis
play of flags was arranged.
Paris fell, France asked for an
armistice, and Hitler had the salts
faction of meeting its representa-
tives in the same railway car in
Compeigne Forest where Marshal
Foch, in 1918. dictated the terms.
Again nothing happened in Ber-
lin, beyond 10 days of flag raising
and the daily tolling of church bells.
Like Busman's Holiday.
But today it was like a vast bus
mans holiday. I rode in car
behind Hitler's with four other
newspaper correspondents, from An
halter station to the chancellery.
No one, unless he happened to
stand before the chancellery when
Hitler got there and saw the
wounded veterans of Hitler's cam
paigns, lined up in a place of honor
below his balcony. would have
thought Germany still was fighting
a war.
While bands blared and church
bells peeled, Hitler, standing in
his car, smiled and Saluted.
Flowers of every kind and color
carpeted his path. Thousands had
brought flowers, despite the order
that they must not throw them in
the Fuehrer's car. The police had
them piled in the streets and, a few
minutes before Hitler's train pulled
into the station from the west,
uniformed Hitler boys and Hitler
girls scattered them eagerly from
curb to curb.
The predominant note of the
triumphal ride was military
To be sure, cabinet ministers and
party leaders rode in the triumphal
parade, headed by the Fuehrer.
There even was DR.. Hjalmar
Schacht, who once piloted Ger 4
many's finances, paired strangely
enough in limousine with the Nazi7 !
philosopher Alfred Rosenberg, but
DR.. Schacht cut curious figure in
his high choker collar and slouch
hat in the midst of the brilliant
uniforms.
Throughout, too, non-military
dignitaries were ranged behind men
like Field Marshal Hermann Goer-
ing, Grand Admiral Eric Raeder,
Col. Gems. Walther Won Brauchitsch
and Wilhelm Keitel
Makes Two Appearances.
Hitler did not speak, either at
the station or at the chancellery.
He made two silent, smiling appear
ances on the chancellery balcony,
and the police had to clean the
Wilhelmplatz later because the pee-
pie wouldn't 60 away.
There was this other outstanding
impression of my drive: The realiza-
ton that Germany still has enor-
nous reserves of manpower for her
fight on England.
The companies of troops before
the station and along the route
never, apparently, have been to the
front
More than that, fresh, massed |
manpower presented itself in storm
troop and Schultz Staffel forma-
tions, labor battalions, Nazi motor
troops, numerous types of civil
service employees, railwaymen, street.
car men and in the older classes of |
Hitler youths.
In one respect this homecoming |
was true to tradition-"Hitler wealth
er" prevailed.
The sun shone hot and bright
so hot, in fact, that many people
collapsed.
Hitler came to the capital well
ahead of Italian Foreign Minister
Count Galeazzo Ciano, who is due
to arrive tomorrow.
1t is understood that the visit is
IN the main a demonstration of the
solidarity of the axis.
Count Ciano is likely to go to |
the Western Front, whence Hitler
came today, after visiting Berlin.
Rumnninn Shin Cnnfnin