GOERING, THE SECOND MAN IN GERMANY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 55, 27 November 1937, Page 14

GOERING, THE SECOND MAN IN GERMANY

Iack-of-all-Trades in the Nazi Regime, He Has a Love of Luxury, an Immense Conceit, a Ruthlessness Towards His Enemies, and Has Perfect Understanding with Hitler

TO-DAY General Goering is the second man in Germany, writes Bene Laurent in BevUe de Paris. No dictator other than the Fuhrer has ever tolerated such a lieutenant with the same assuranco of his fidelity. He is called Hitler 's "paladin," that is, his lifelong and voluntary servant. The understanding between the two men is perfect. To what does Hermann Goering owe this privileged position? The Fuhrer has other friends as devoted and as able to serve. Yet none of them has been given duties as important and varied; none has received confidential missions; none has enjoyed so much tolerance for their wealcness. Goering has his chiefs audience, and if he holds second place in Germany it does not meau that he is second in importance. For the moment he could. not fill Hitler 's shoes, having neither the latter's authority nor his popularity. But Goering 's stage of operations is excellent: he can propose measures that the omnipotence of the other can execute. Born at Eosenheim, Bavaria, in 1893, Goering is of Westphalian stock which boasts the purest blood in Germany. He comes from a solid, tenacious, energetic race which has produced men like Baron von Stein, the Prussian reformer and foe of Napoleon. At the timo of G'-mring's birth, his father held a diplomatic post in America and had behind him a long career. He had been chosen by Bismarck as commissary of the first Germany colony of South-West Africa. He had been a cavalry officer in the wars • of 1866 and 1870, and from his father the young Hermann heard the story of Germany 's colonial and military campaigns. He himself at 15 was known for his daring exploits. Once he climbed one of the peaks of Mout Blanc after having dislocated his shoulder in a crevice. He attended the cadet schools of Karlsruhe and Lichterfelde. "A regular briclt, but difficult: a born revolutionary " one of his professors said of him. In 1914, Goering was a secoridlieutenant in Alsace, where he again became distinguished for his daring. One day one of his comrades in the flying corps asked him to go with him as an observer; and without leave Goering complied. He received several days' confinement as a result and was nearly refused permission to return to the front. The two men soon after this were awarded the Iron Cross. In 1915 wireless devices were installed in airplanes, and the first time Goering gave ditections to the heavy artillery his unvarnished message came over: f 'The battery can cease fire. She is hitting wide of the objeetive." And for this liberty with official phraseology the general had Goering recalled. But he never spoke any other way than bluntly, even to superiors. In a few months Goering became a well-known pilot; and in 1917 he was commanding a squadron of airplanes with marked success. He was wounded during bombardment, and was afterwards presented by the Kaiser with the highest decoration for merit. In 1918, after the death of Bichthofen, and then of his suceessor, EeinHard, Goering was given command of the famous "squadron 3"— a position which he held till the end of the war. To a man of Goering 's temperament the armistice was death. He refused to surrender his machines to the enemy, but retired to the interior, followed from landing:field to landing-field by a German Staff Officer who ordered him to recognise Ihe terms agreed to by the High Command. Some of the planes remained at Darmstadt, the rest of the squadron was broken up

at Aschaffenburg, where Goering, in taking leave of his comfades, delivered a ringing address. "The fight with arms is ended,"" he is reported to have said, "but a new fight begins for us, a fight for principles, for morale, for a new spirit." His words foreshadowed a national-socialism which in those days was far from the thoughts of the intrepid aviator. Goering first Saw Hitler in 1921 during a great demonstration in Munich against the surrender of the German military heads to the Allies. The aviator was present in uniform, and when he heard Hitler speak, he was so moved that he sought out the orator and offered him his services. Hitler, who was then forming his party, needed a man to organise and command his strom-troopers, and Captain Goering, the aerial war hero, exactly suited his purposes. Goering was accepted. But whether he was suddenly "onverted to National-Soeialism or later came

to accept its doctrines is a psychological problem that is insoluble. There is no doubt that he was influenced by the personality of Hitler, that he hated the Weimar regime and its negation of all military tradition, and that he was fascinated by his new role as a soldier. He was neither a politician nor a political theorist; but he wanted to see a great Germany. With his taste for power and his bourgeois background, he had small interest in socialism. The vague system of dictatorship proposed by his party carried a powerful appeal for his wilful, voracious, domineering nature. At Nyphenburg, near Munich, Goering threw himself into his work. Two years of daily con* tract with Hitler formed the staunch friendship between the two. It was strengthened. by the attempted putsch at Munich in November, 1923, when Hitler, Ludendorff and Goering and their supporters were fired upon in the streets. Hitler escaped, and was arrested a few days later. Goering, seriously wounded, was carried by friends on a stretcher through the Bavarian Alps and across the frontier of Innsbruek. But the German Government followed; his goods were seized- and his extradition demanded of Austria. Goering fled penniless to Yenice, then to Bome, and finally to his wife's country, Switzerland.

There followed the hardesf petiod of Goering 's life. He found no employment. His wife was ill. They pawned their last possessions. It was not until 1926 that an amnesty allowed him to return to Gerniany. But he did not find his place. in the party, disorganised since Hitler 's imprisonment. He worked at various jobs to earn enough to eat, and, with Hitler ?s return soon afteywards, he rejoined him and went with bim on his propaganda tours. In 1928, Goering was one of the 12 National-Socialists elected to the Eeichstag. ' As Hitler 's deputy at Berlin, his house became a centre of political activity. For two years after the elections in 1930, National-Soeialism worked feverishly to gaiu a majority of seats in the Eeicnstag. By plane and motor-car Hitler toured Germany, holding hundreds of meetings, and Goering often went with him. TJntil Hitler was named Chancellor of the Beich in January, 1933, Goering played a lCading role in his rise to power, especially in those last few steps where energy, decision and daring were needed. He toolc advantage of the Eeichstag fire in February, 1933, to crush Communism. As Minister of the Interior for Prussia, hq controlled the police, and he compjetely disbanded the Schutzpolizei to make room ^ for members of his Blackshirts and Brownshirts. This organisation he made into a prop for the new regime. He also created the secret police known as the Gestapo in order to ferret out enemies of the Third Eeich and send them to concentration camps. In one night 4000 members of the Communist Party were arrested. Goering was largely responsible for the1 suppression not only of all Marxist parties, but of all political parties other than the Nazi. In April, 1933, Goering was made PrOsident of the Couneil of Prussia. Here he replaced the Landstag with his own Couneil of State for which he himself named the members. The new body had only consultative powers. With the centralisation of government in the Eeich, autonomy has disappeared in the German" states. As Air Minister, Goering has been tho organiser of the new German air f orce. Thousands of new planes were built; Germany is covered with landing-fields; there are splendid flying schools and effieient anti-aircraft defenees. The General has also acted on special diplomatic service in Warsaw, Belgrade and Eome. He is a great admirer of Italy and of II Duce whose likeness to himself is evident. Many Italians are said to prefer Goering even to the Fuhrer whom they find too simple and untheatrical in his postures. Goering 's last great task was to prdvide drive and perhaps a certain bogey for the four-year plan. He was used to break resistance. In order to have his advisor near him, Hitler has built Goering a villa near his own at Berchtesgaden. Without each other 's rnutual stimulation neither Hitler nor Goering would make sueh daring decisions as have recently disturbed the peace of Europe. His position in the State, as well as his friendship with Hitler makes Goering a kind of riglitful heir to the rulership of Germany. But his ehances of succeeding the Fuhrer are probably very long. If he did succeed to the dictatorship the next step would conceisrably be towards the monarchy. To-day there is no need to. question his fidelity to Hitler; but should the occasion arise, the masses , can be hypnotised by the strong face of General Goering, by his madness for discipline, his ruthlessness towards his enemies, and his immense conceit.