Evening star., 1943-05-23
Little Fuehrer
Anton Mussert Married
to Mothers Sister
Continued From Page B-1.)

follower of little man like Mussert.
But finally, after four years, he came
Overland this was the biggest boost the
Mussert party ever had. It had con-
sisted of few thousand jobless incompe-
ents. Now 1t could claim a man who,
despite the scandals in which he had
been involved, was recognized as lawyer
and flnancier of high standing. It made
Mussert. Perhaps Van Tonningen, with
prophetic vision of the future, thought
it would be easy to oust the little en-
gineer from his position as head Of
Dutch Naziism-but Anton Is not so
easy to deal with as he looks. The illus
trious recruit became editor of the Mus
sert party's Imprinted little weekly
paper.
In this post Van Tonningen got
drunk on printers ink" for time. He
started a systematic SANDER campaign
on all his real and imagined friends. He
cursed everybody who criticized Hitler.
He had once been friend of Dolfuss.
He glorif1ed his assassination. And
to seat In the Dutch Parliament.
Has Done Well for Self.
Since this invasion he has done very
we'll by himself, although not as well as
he would wish.
"It was clear" says an account of his
career just published here, that after
the rape of the Netherlands the pro-
gress of this traitor would be very swift.
There was above all his experience as
financial adviser to the Austrian gov
ernment to fall back upon. And so
within few months after the arrival of
Seyss-I -Inquart in the Netherlands Van
Tonningen was chosen to replace the
faithful and patriotic head of the Meth
erlands Bank. In the time that has
since passed he has used every means
to give away the resources of his coun-
try to the enemy. He proved a very
willing tool in the hands of those who
wish to incorporate Holland, lock, stock
Reich.
Time and again he has robbed the
nations funds to support German in
terests, such as the so-called volunteer
legion to fight on the eastern front.
Only few months ago he strongly rec
commended a state loan of 5OO,OOO,OOO
guilders. He urged small traders, shop
keepers and house owners to subscribe
and did not hesitate to admit that most
of this money would be used to pay ex-
penses of the German occupation.
Finally he was given full control Of
all banks and credit institutions in the
Netherlands. In matters of finance he
now rules supreme. Banks and credit
companies have to open their books and
files to him. All money transactions are
at his mercy"
But quite paradoxically, notwithstand-
ing that Van Tonningen holds the purse
of the Netherlands, he can't get rid of
Mussert who remains, at least in name,
his boss. The struggle of these two men
for power in treason would be grossly
humorous if it were not so tragic for the
Dutch people over whom they are al
lowed limited amount of power.
Mussert Crafty Plotter.
Mussert is crafty little plotter and
what he can't think of his wife can.
But he keeps his position largely be-
cause Hitler likes him, enjoys his arrant
boasting, his almost comical demands
for blood and more blood, is compli-
mented by his silly aping Of the master
himself, and is amused on those occa-
sions when he gets his back up like a
bantom rooster and defies the Reich in
the name of free Holland"-although
Mussert is very careful about the sub
ject of these defiances.
Mussert, of course, has no real power
but his official position as leader of the
Dutch people" makes him supposedly
their spokesman before the all-powerful
gauleiter, Seyss-Inquart-"Ol Six-in-a-
quart" they call him-or even before
Hitler himself. Thus the Nazis can say
that they never have tyrannized over
the Dutch. They have always had a
voice in their own affairs-Mussert's
voice. Hitler has only co-operated with
this brave nation in its fight against
Communism and for a new Europe OF
course, 1t has been necessary to punish
vi Io4il OAolOJdl clcllcIGS-dDOuC W per
cent of the people-but this has been
done because their legally constituted
leader appealed for it to bring them 70
their senses.
Crafty, limping, polished "Old Skim
a-quart" Is there only to help the brave
little Mussert, the real voice of Holland.
Just the same he was in Austria and
helped assassinate the disloyal Dolfuss
in the interests of the New Europe.
Nobody is certain just where Mussert
lives. Dutch Offices in London have three
addresses One is sumptuous house on
the "Plein' in The Hague, just across
from the statue erected to the memory
OF those who fell in Hollands last war
when it became free of French occupa-
ton In 1880. Another is at Utrecht, prob
ably the headquarters of his party. An
other is at Hilversum, near where the
little man hid in haystack to escape
the vengeance of his outraged country
men during the invasion. He often is re-
ferred to as "the haystack hero" At
which OF these places he makes his home
with "auntie" is unknown.
Take Sumptuous Quarters.
Seyss-Inquart goes in for more sump-
tuous quarters. When he first came to
Holland he set up in Wassenaar Castle
with its elaborate gardens near The