How to become a Storm Trooper in Germany has been described by a young German-Jewish student, now a refugee in the United States. who risked his life in making the experiment. He is, in appearance, so tall and blond and generally Nordic-looking that the risk, in his case, was somewhat minimized. His description of what takes place, with names of course deleted, lends authenticity to the belief that the young Storm Troopers are psychologically similar to members of the Ku Klux Klan and other organizations which have risen and fallen in the past in this country. His description follows:
One day the idea struck me: why not go and see for myself what procedure one has to undergo to become a member of the Hitler Storm Troops?
Promptly that evening I went to a tavern where the Nazis of that borough of the city had established their headquarters.
“Heil, Hitler!” several young men saluted with raised arms as I entered the place.
I responded in like fashion and sat down on a chair in the group. I ordered a stein of beer.
Asked if I had lately moved to this section of the town and if I would like to become a member of the Storm Troops, I answered “Yes.”
Then the fellows sitting next to me lifted their steins of beer, shouting: “Heil!” and talk soon drifted around to beer itself, and women and song.
Some of the men then advised me what I would have to answer when the district leader asked me question.
The district leader, announced by a guard from without, entered the room at about 8.30 p.m. Everybody sprang to military attention; heels clicked ;arms were raised and the usual salute was extended.
He had glanced over the assembled group of young men and had noticed me. He asked: “Are you new?”
Some of the boys pushed me in the back to remind me to stand in proper military fashion, as I had relaxed somewhat. I did; I drew myself up and answered: “Yes.”
“Why did you come here?” was the next question.
“To become a member of this Storm Trooper group,” I replied.
“What are our aims?”
Previously some of the fellows had told me the answers to be given to his questions.
“To unify the German nation, to break the shame-treaty of Versailles, to drive the Jews out, to save Germany from Communism!”
“Well,” said the district leader, “what newspapers do you read?”
“The —,” I told him.
He looked at me suspiciously and said: “Young man, this is not the daily newspaper you should read. You must read the —.” He glared at me imperiously. “And what is our motto?” he bellowed as an afterthought.
“The interest of the community goes before self-interest!”
“Can you buy a uniform soon?”
“Yes, sir.”
“All right. Sit down.”
Some routine business was dispatched, and a half hour later the district leader left. My comrades congratulated me and everybody was glad that I had followed their instructions in answering the questions, for it has happened before that some fellows have answered truthfully what was in their minds and were therefore refused admittance. For if we told the truth we would state that we wanted to join the Nazis because we hoped it would get us a job.
With the district leader gone, the beer drinking was resumed. I was told to report the next day at the — School, this district’s military training barracks.
I never did.
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.
