The book, which caused the arrest of the author, is a full length novel written around the Hitlertie revolution. Aside from the principal characters of the book, whose names at least are fictional, the work accurately portrays many conditions lealing with Hitler’s rise to power.
It explains the falsity of charges lodged against the Communists and Jews and ridicules the antipacifist attitude of the Nazi Government.
Because of the manner in which the book described Nazi brutality toward political enemies and Jews and because it convincingly refutes the Nazi propaganda now being disseminated throughout the world, it may rank in nazi files as one of the foremost examples of “gruelpropaganda” or atrocity propaganda, the expression of which carries in Germany today the death sentence.
THE CRIMINAL PARAGRAPH
The paragraph which proved objestionable to the Dutch Government is embraced in a conversation between two Germans, who have become disgusted with Nazi deception and murder. They are discussing the possibilities of Von Hindenburg’s restoring justice. The incriminating excerpt follows:
“A man brought them some wet galley proofs. ‘For whom is that?” he asked, reading the heading.
“‘Von Hindenburg swore to Luebe to observe the constitution. But Luebe is in a concentration camp.’
“‘That seems to me to be a Social Democratic comic paper,’ arl said with a laugh. ‘You still don’t seem able to get used to the fact that von Hindenburg is not the old trusted warrior!’
“‘What is he then?’
INSIDE STORY REVEALED
“‘Von Hindenburg is the man who on January 30, 1933, made Hitler chancellor-at a time when the National Socialists had already lost two million votes and Hitler’s power had passed its zenith. He did it because the Reichstag Commission of Inquiry had established the fact that von Hindenburg’s estate, Neudeck, had had the benefit of money under the East Prussia Relief Fund. So Hitler became Chancellor of the Reich, and the Commission of Inquiry disappeared. You social democrats appeal to this very man, von Hindenburg. The man who allowed the sixty-three-year-old worker, Rudolf B. of Dresden to be sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment for venturing tosay to friends of his in a restaurant that he did not believe unemployment would disappear.’
“‘All the same we appeal to von Hindenburg,’ Johnny said. ‘He swore to uphold the Constitution.'”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
