Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-02-01
100000 Small Nazis
Play Important Role
In Austrian Politics
By Helene Huntington Smith


hundred and eighty thousand small
Nazis who will vote in the next cleo
ton are already political power in
this supposedly de-Nazif1ed country.
This paradox accounts for the
gingerly way in which the recently
discovered Nazi conspiracy was
handled by all shades of Austrian
officialdom. Under the de-Nazif1ca-
ton law. which admittedly would
never have been passed except for
four-power pressure, three groups
of former Hitlerites are recognized:
War criminals, implicated Nazis who
held office or received honors under
the party, and the vast majority OF
party members who just went along.
Add the average quota Of near
relatives to the little Nazis them
selves, and you get around a million
interested adults. That Is ire
mendous block of votes in small
country of less than 1000, 900. If a
peace treaty is signed this year, 1t
will make itself felt in 1919, when
the first elections will be held under
a free Austria.
People Described.
What sort of material for democ-
racy are these people?
First. there is the very large group
whose stock apology is: Il was forced
to Join the party. I only did it to
keep my job" They are scared now
and won't talk freely with an Ameri-
can reporter, but it is possible to
lean what they say among them
selves.
Look at all this quarrelling among
the Allies. Hitler wasn't so far
Wrong-democracy is just quats-
chebude-a stupid jabber- jabber
What we need in these hard times is
a strong man"
One who may as we'll be called
Otis S. is the second type, the disil-
lusioned idealist, who is still strug-
Cling to understand the collapse of
the beautiful Nazi dream. He has
talked it over endlessly with his
comrades. TT seemed such good
idea. Where did we go wrong?"
Otto is a young man of 80, in
telligent and sincere, who writes
for a Peoples Party publication
But his status as a "less-implicated
Nazi' bars him from the staff, and
he is not allowed to sign his ar
ticles. Only 20 years old when
Hitler seized Austria, ne came from
an old family who had served the
Hapsburg emperors for generations
as army officers. He joined the
Nazis because he believed in the
Greater Germany-something to
replace the dead Hapsburg glory
and make Austria feel big again.
Power Too Centralized.
He and his friends never were
really anti-Semitic, he emphasized
they never wanted the Jews per-
secuted or gassed, only segregated
in part of the city by themselves.
When Jews we're abused on the
streets of Vienna and synagogues
were burned, his more conscientious
friends believed the story that Hit
Ter was furious-it must have been
ordered by Goering or Himmler."
He has since come to the con-
clusion that they were wrong to
have put so much power in the
hands of one man.
Most of the little Nazis belong te
Ottos group, or to the group wht
now are convinced that they joined
the party under duress. But there
is also segment Of. former Nazis
whose. thinking follows the line Of
former SIS Of1cer Raffeleberger. the
brain trust of the recently exposed
conspiracy. .--..
Their line is: Hitler went toe
far; terrorism was a mistake; anc
Austrian National Socialism coule
have done better without any sucf
complications as the Greater Reich.
Finally there are the die-hards WHIT
say: Just look at the Communists
Hitler was right"
But those are mostly of an olde
generation. The Otto type of Nazi
have learned, the hard way
that dictatorship doesn't pay. The
don't understand democracy, blu
they admit painfully that it mus
have something Hitler didn't, sine
it crushed Hitler Whether thes
pale streaks will brighten into tn
dawn of the democratic spirit onl
time will tell.
Many Are Disqualified.
The 100000 less implicated Nazi
suffer certain economic disqualified
lions. They are barred from man
positions and restricted in man
occupations. The 10000 heavily
implicated Nazis are still furthe
barred and restricted.
Austrian government spokesme
say that as soon as a peace treat
is signed, they expect Parliament t
pass a measure granting complet
amnesty to the little Nazis an
restoring them to full participatio
in the political and economic life
the country They say they oppos
any removal of restrictions on tn
10000 bigger Nazis.
But already there is strong pres
sure in Austria toward removing a
disabilities from the heavily impli
Gated group as well. Listen to Ottt
and pretty soon you will start cryin
over the sad plight of former Ma
professor who was decorated by tn
regime for his books in support
Hitlers race theories. The poe
professor has been put out of h
apartment in favor of former cor
centration camp inmate who ju:
missed going to the gas chamber
Despite his supposed democrat
conversion. Otto thinks this incor
venience-imposed on the professc
.la 60 tinta 10 1c Tor