HITLER NO DANGER

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1930, Page 2

HITLER NO DANGER

PRODUCTS OF UNSETTLED times'

WELLINGTON, December 27

“Hitler! Oh, you don’t want to take him too seriously. He is the product of reaction in Germany, plus the -sample of Mussolini, but they have found him out already. He promised the people everything, just like Mr ..ang m New South Wales, and when -he)” found he could not keep liw promises he lost ground. Hitler m an Austrian, and somewhat of an outsider to most true blue Germans, and he is not to be regarded as a danger. He s the product of the somewhat unsettled times and the very grave conditions economically.” This is an expression of opinion of Dr Greta Short, Ph.D., who has just returned from a visit to Berlin, and who from her associations there and her ’ training as head of an English seminary in the Berlin University, must be accounted competent to draw conclusions in regard to contemporary happenings. She says that Hitler, if he stands for anything, desires a Gei‘nUtii System of Fascism under It dictatorship, With himself as the dictator, of cobrise, but it had to be remettlbtSred. that there were seven or eight parties of consequence in Geramny, and it was a most difficult matter to get the elements from each to mix and consolidate into one stable Government. Mussolini-ism she considered a form of megalomania which was endured only for the time, but the form of Fascism which Latin people like the Italians would suffei was scarcely likely to find favour with a strong Nordic race like the Germans. SIMPLICITY THE KEYNOTE. The sense of security which one lias in London, she told a “Post” representative, the wealth and elegance which one saw there, were not reproduced in Berlin. There was no personal wealth in Berlin, and one rarely .saw an evening frock except at a very ex-pensive-cabaret. Berlin provided much in the way of night clubs and similar entertainment, but it was more for foreign visitors than for her own people Her citizens were not depressed, but simplicity was the keynote of their lives; there was almost a severity in their outlook. People in Germany ' worked hard, but they were not prosperous. They worked hard because it was the only thing to do considering the economic conditions with which they were faced. The young peopie knew that there was little opening for them when it came to earning a living, and a§ ilo country wonts people without money, there was little chance of emigrating, Young people as a result of sucli economic conditions were “finished with the old and wanted everything new,” and this feeling, said Hr Short, was expressed in the work of the young in its avenues of art and music. No one could possibly see yet where such restlessness would lead, but such an outlook made youth very serious and prematurely old. The young people were very well read, interested in art and literature and politics. As far as politics went there was, of course, a danger that parties would use youthful en- | tliusiasm for their own ends and that the young people would get a party outlook rather than one which was for the good of the whole.' The older people greatly resented what they considered the “immature” influence which the young people had in the country, but whatever the opinions of German youth there was among them a keeness to make something better out of Germany. In architecture Dr Short said that some of the new business buildings in Berlin were most arresting. They were very simple because of lack of money, and their beauty lay in their simplicity again, austerity almost. The horizontal as compared with the more usual vertical line was employed, and although the whole idea would be considered experimental from our point of view, in Germany' and Holland it had passed beyond that stage and was quite accepted. The cafe bands were wonderful now, and great artists were often to be found conducting them in both classical and jazz music.