Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-22
Germany Sees Ominous
Revival of StohIheImers

has barred the Stahlhelm and
some West German officials
have viewed It's resurgence
with concern.
The credo Of the Stahlhelm
says. among other things:
He (the Stahlhelmer) re-
spects every conviction, but he
will not stand idly by when
enemies of the state endanger
the peace. order and security
of our people. 80.
Every German soldier who
fulfilled his duty as a soldier
and who has kept his soldiers
honor clean +. belongs today
to the Stahlhelm.
The last big Stahlhelm meet
ing led to a Communist riot in
the border town Of Goslar last
summer. Since then the Stahl-
helmers have been relatively
quiet
ChiId's Play?
Many West Germans refuse
to take the new Stahlhelm
seriously. They look upon It's
meeting and parades more as
ludicrouS child'S play than as
the forerunner Of q new kind
of militariSm. Others have a
different opinion.
Officially the A m orleans,
British and French have moth
ing to say about the Stahl-
helm, which today is the Sec
ond largest veterans organiza-
ton in West Germany. The
largest, Verband Deutscher
Soldaten, is composed of small
groups.
Among those disturbed about
the Stahlhelm is a ranking
French official in Berlin, who
asked not to be identified.
THE Stahlhelm is not a
democratic organization and
we don't like it," he said re-
Gently. I'VE feel that what they
are doing here in Berlin is not
good for the people. The Stahl-
helmers should not be allowed
to meet. Their rallies only
bring retaliation from the
East"
Up to now Stahlhelmers
have made little use of their
beloved symbol, the helmet
that became a trade mark for
Nazi terror.
Several StahlhelmerS did
wear it at Goslar, but result
ing publicity quickly discour-
aged any more attempts.
Stahlhelm leaders claim that
everyone who wore the helmet
at Goslar has been barred
from the organization forever.
One of the top men in the
Stahlhelm is its West Berlin
leader, 81 : year : old Alfred
Gurth, who recalls the Stahl-
helm fought Socialists and
Communists in the 20s.
1--WE have always been OPP
posed to the Communists. We
lost 300 men in our street
fights with them" he said.
adding:
"One of my biggest regrets
is that we didn't make more
use of our powers in those
years. We had 2 million men,
bers then and during the an
nual rally at Tempelhof in
1882 we had a quarter Of a
million men lined up in field
gray. 1t was an army!
I'VE should have done some
thing then. If we had, things
would be different today and
we wouldn't be living among
all these ruins"
Aims Are Political
Discussing today's Stahl-
helm. Mr.. Gurth admits that
its aims are still frankly poll
tical. West Germany has many
other veterans organizations,
but. he says
Our organization lays more
stress on tradition and politics.
The other groups are mostly
interested in getting pensions
for their members.
In Berlin. the Communists
have made so much noise
about the Stahlhelm that it
has almost been forced to go
underground. 1t tried 10 hold
It's meetings in secret. especi-
ally since the Communists car
ried out a full-scale riot
against a Stahlhelm meeting
early in 1865.
News Of a meetings loca-
tion-generally in beer hall
leaks out, and the Com
munists Immediately organize,
or threaten to organize, a riot.
Faced with the possibility OF
wrecked furniture and win
dows. the beer hall owner
nearly always refuses the
Stahlhellners admission.
SO they find a new beer hall.
and hope nobody knows they