Evening star., 1948-11-12
Schacht Book Shows
Luxury-Loving Hitler
Worried About Health

NEW YORK, Nov. u (NANA. -
Hjalmar Schacht, for many years
one of Hitler's closest associates, has
drawn a mercileSs portrait OF the
late Fuehrer in his memoirs just
published by the Rowohlt-Verlag OF
Hamburg. The book, entitled
"Abrechnung Nit Hitler" (Squaring
Accounts With Hitler, is running in
serial installments in the Hamburg
weekly paper, Die Zeit.
Once again the financial wizard Of
the Nazi regime proves that in acu-
men and wit he far outclassed all
the other minions of Hitler. In a
year replete with memoirs. Schacht S
rank among the most readable. Al
though barely month old. his book
already is a best seller in Germany.
Even with due allowance for a
rich dose of personal animosity and
venom, Schacht's memoirs will be
rated high by historians as source
material on Hitler and his era. For
Schacht knew the Fuehrer inti-
maely. AS Minister of Ecohomie
Affairs from 1884 to 1887, he was
closer to Hitler than any but the
highest party bosses. And none OF
these had Schacht's keen gift OF OBJ
servation and judgment.
Schacht was one of Hitler's top
most advisers, yet he was not an
out-and-out henchman. His men,
bership in the Nazi Party was NOM
inal and he never fawned on Hitler.
He writes: Hitler always showed
me respect, even a certain awe
This is confirmed by other sources.
But it did not prevent the Gestapo
from tapping Schacht's private tele-
phone and having a housemaid make
regular reports on him.
Hitler Hated Royalty.
Schacht's memoirs provide re-
vealing glimpses into the dark alleys
of Hitler's mind; they cast interest
ing sidelights on many hitherto OBJ
scure phases of the Nazi regime. He
writes that Hitler, after having
played up to the monarchists, was
thrown into a frantic hatred OF all
crowned heads by his cool reception
In Rome on his first visit there.
Many years later. during the war,
he vented his spite against royal
houses by complimenting his former
enemies, the Social-Democrats, on
their historic merits" in doing away
with the German princes.
Hitler loved the radio, according to
schacht, because it can be talked
into, to ones hearts content, with
out ever talking back He was a
Snowman to such a degree that he
was taken in by his own histrionics.
The legend of Hitlers ascetic way
of living was "a gross fake II
Hitler did not smoke, drink, or eat
meat, it was not for any idealistic
reason, but because his health for
bade him to.
Hitler was luxury-loving in the
extreme and spent extravagant sums
to satisfy his fancy. He used to buy
art works and antiques regardless
VI pIlCc dllu IL frequently ioppCAlCu
that two or three of his agents bid
against one another at the same
auction, needlessly driving prices up.
Schacht's acid portrait of Hitler
is matched only by his unbounded
contempt for Hermann Goering. He
tells how he once took Goering to
task for yielding to Hitler and re-
ceived the reply: We'll, every so
often I make up my mind to tell
him Hitler off; but as soon as I
face him, my heart drops in my
pants"
Goering Succeeded Schacht.
Some of Schachts dislike of Goer-
ing may stem from the fact that
the latter succeeded him in 1887.
When Goering for the first time
entered Schachts private Office at
the Ministry of Economics, he ex-
claimed: How can anybody have
big ideas in such a small room?"
Then he called up his predecessor
nm tho phope and f,11vopotoI o1a,