A hastily summoned gathering of leading Nazi party members from every section of Germany met today and once again pledged loyalty to Reichsfuehrer Adolf Hitler. Heads of the party, the government and of the Reichswehr—the regular German army—hailed Hitler as the leader.
The meeting was called, Deputy Leader Rudolf Hess declared in his opening speech, to destroy the “lies and rumors abroad” about the new blood purge in Germany, which was said to have taken an enormous toll of life. He also declared that false stories were spread with the obvious purpose of influencing the Saar vote.
The nervousness of the Nazi leaders was evident in the elaborate precautions taken to guard Hitler. The entire route from the Wilhelmstrasse to the State Opera House was lined with a double line of troops and picked black-shirted guards. One line faced toward the sidewalk, while the other line faced the street.
Hitler drove to the meeting in an open car, sitting on the front seat with the driver. His car was guarded by two automobile loads of special guards and the cars roared down the street at twice the usual speed.
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.
