“CAN’T MAKE WAR”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20030, 31 August 1939, Page 16

“CAN’T MAKE WAR”

GERMAN EXPLAINS REASON THE NATION’S UNREST FEELING AGAINST HITLER A German citizen now in. Sydney—he left Germany only four months ago —assures Smith’s Weekly that Hitler is not in a position to make war. “The feeling against Hitler in, Germany is much stronger than the outside world is permitted to know,” he declared. "Hitler .claims a following of more than DO per cent of the nation. If that ds so why must he keep almost 9000 people in concentration camps? Surely in so large a population they could do little harm, if 90 per cent of the people are supporters of the Hitler regime?

“And if the people love him so, why must he speak behind armour-plate glass? I heard him speak a year ago at Nuremberg. There were 200,000 people at the meeting, tout nearly all of them were well-fed, contented stormtroopers. They were not the hungry rank-and-file of the nation.

“Whenever Hitler travels by train a man is .posted every 100yds. along the line. Ten Gestapo men taste all food before i't reaches him. Coal used in his train is examined for explosives. “Weeks before Herr Hitler visits a town Gestapo men go through the place with a fine tooth-comb, clearing rooms in houses along the route, examining underground telephone tunnels, and even the flowers which little children are going to present to the Fuehrer.

“When. Herr Hitler went to Salzburg (Austria), soon after the annexation, 50 train-loads of Nazis dressed as Austrians .preceded him to stage a ‘welcome.’ News-reels showed ‘Austrians’ cheering their new leader, and the outside world did not realise it was faked. “You Promised Us Bread”

“Hunger is making the people restive. They are scrawling up such notices as: ‘Hitler, you promised us bread; give us bread or you’ll toe dead!’ . . . ‘Stop feeding murderers on eggs and toutter taken from little children!’ (This was painted on the dome of Cologne Cathedral).

‘“Cleaning squaos go around early every .morning removing such signs as these, but they are scrawled up again next night. “The German Aimy is well-fed, tout it is discontented. It cannot forget the Nazi blood bath of 1934, when many army officers -were murdered.

“The old-type army officer hates the Nazi* Storm Trooper. I have seen them hit Nazis whom they have found wrecking Jewish shops. “Four months ago I was sitting in the Cafe Vienna, Frankfurt-on-tVlaine, when a 'Nazi fried ‘to make a Jew leave the restaurant. A German officer immediately crossed to a table at which sat three other Jews and asked them to join him. “When Jewis were 'forced to clean the streets of Vienna, army officers told many of them to go home. Officers have called .November 9, 1938. the day the German pogrom began, the blackest day in German history. They considered it lowered their honour and was a blot on German culture.

"Professional soldiers want to get Herr Hitler out because they realise that their jobs will be taken toy young Nazis if the regime is permitted' to continue.

“Herr .Hitler’s private army of 500,000 .men would fight ait his order, but the toulk -of the German army would hang back. For this reason Herr Hitler hesitates to make war.”