Hitler Blames Jews for Revolt

graphic Agency revealed last week, almost a score were Jews.

Undoubtedly referring to the Jews, Der Fuehrer then made the following explanation to the assembled parliamentarians:

“Enemies, who could not understand the mentality of the German people, endeavored to construe the performances of the German people in such a manner as to create hatred.

“They do not consider themselves a part of the German people and do not desire to help in the work. They have no political feeling and try to find the weakness in every success.”

One of the outstanding features of the speech was a reference, although indirect, to the world-wide boycott and its ravages on the Reich’s economic life.

“It is of course,’ he declaimed, “impossible to think of any government not having problems to meet. If the balance of trade is against Germany to such an extent that we cannot any longer bring our imports into the country, then I am sure the ability and inspiration of our investors will be sufficient to enable us to continue to run our government in spite of an unfavorable balance of trade.

“There is not,” he continued, “hardly a single activity in which we have not had to find new ways and try new experiments and if the German people had not given us its complete cooperation these things would have been impossible for the German government to accomplish.”

ATTACKS ‘GRUMBLERS’

Hitler castigated those elements in the Reich who, he said, were spending their time spreading rumors of difficulties over “absolutely unimportant problems.”

“I must, however,” he explained, “also think of the group which unintentionally is destructive in its activities by spreading rumors with regard to absolutely unimportant problems, for, while the overwhelming part of the people are working hard in order to earn their daily bread, there are still people who are doing nothing, and simply spend their time gossiping about political matters.”

That this, also, was an indirect attack on the Jews was considered plausible, since one of the recent Nazi accusations hurled against German Jewry is that it has been secretly sending out rumors of atrocities.

PROMISES TROOPER DOMINANCE

Although it is definitely known that the storm troop army of 2,500,000 men is to be cut by approximately two-thirds, the chancellor pomised that “in a few weeks the Brown Shirts will be dominant on the German streets” and will demonstrate that “national socialist Germany is all the stronger now that it has overcome great difficulty.”

With regard to the execution of Roehm, Hitler made the following explanation:

“Referring to Roehm, I was compelled to take a position against moral excesses. A leader is expected to receive absolute obedience and in turn must inspire confidence by his conduct. Any molestations of peaceful people must be condemned.

“The conduct of the Nazi Fueh#er must be first class in every regard. He must set a good example, and any fault must necessarily be punished much more severely than the faults of an unknown person. This applies to all the leaders of the movement.

“Leaders who have been with the movement for fifteen years to conduct themselves in this way, but Roehm went so far as to punish these leaders and remove them from their positions.

“When my suspicions were first aroused I tried to conceal them. Roehm’s ambitious plans had to be destroyed.

“I first hesitated and could not believe the reports coming to me. I wanted to avoid the disgrace and scandal.

“It was conduct impatible with that of any leader. Such conduct spread. A nucleus formed in the storm troops not only of moral degenerates but also of persons who tried to oppose existing condiditions.

“Men joined the storm troops for the reason that they wanted to belong to these people. I gave strict orders in this connection, but they were not obeyed.

“Three groups formed in the storm troops. The first group was of blind followers of Roehm. The second group believed they owed obedience to him as soldiers. The third group refused to follow his leadership and were even removed from their positions.

“These conditions became insupportable. I was to combine all existing organizations into one organization including even the army. I could not possibly consent to this.

“For fourteen years I had kept the army separate and many years ago I did not suggest Roehm for the army, but Ludendorff. I could never consent to these ideas of Schleicher.

“I swore to Von Hindenburg that the army would be held inviolate and such a promise is binding.

“The minds of the storm troopers were poisoned by revolutionary ideas and rumors before June 30, and rumors of revolt were spread through the ranks.

“The tendencies of the leaders of the storm troops were commonly known and destructive to homogeneity of the group as

“The ranks of the storm troops became loosened and their spirit slackened.”

In conclusion Hitler exhorted all Germans to rally behind him, saying:

“Let all Germans feel themselves responsible for the most valuable possession Germany can have—order within and peace within and without.”

PECULIAR HOLIDAY SPIRIT PREVAILS

As the Nazi chieftain bit off his words into the microphone that was carrying his voice around the world, his upflung right fist, his favorite forensic gesture, cast its shadow over all Berlin and Germany.

A peculiar holiday spirit, somewhat subdued yet with an element of the hysterical, seemed to pervade the crowds that gathered throughout the city. On their faces could be read the desire to be gay. In the back of their minds one could sense the ever present picture of their former idols being slain in cold blood, with shouts of loyalty to Hitler on their lips as they died.

How would Der Fuehrer explain those killings?

How would he excuse the murder of men who the day before he had been extolling to them as heroes, idols?

QUESTION THE FUTURE

What would the future hold? How would the world take the leader’s explanation of the bloody purge that threw a scarlet blot on the beautiful picture of harmony Herr Hitler had been painting for his loyal subjects these many months since he had assumed power?

These were the thoughts that seemed to be racing through the minds of the crowds that gathered in front of the Kroll Opera House, where the puppet Reichstag was gathered to act as a claque to the orator.

The crowds lined the streets from the Chancellory to the opera house. They were kept in check by large details of police and black uniformed storm troops of the so-called Elite branch.