Nazi Glorification of War

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 5, 6 January 1940, Page 10

Nazi Glorification of War

Q.EEMAN Press announcements of men killed in action throw an interesting light on the Nazis’ glorification of war. Most of the announcements are inserted by the families of the fallen soldiers and bear the signatures of Nazi Cabinet Ministers. The death announcement of the most prominent Nazi victim so far, MayerQuade, an S.A, leader and police president of Kiel, is signed by Darre, the Minister for Agriculture. In the case of Wilhelm Roettig, a major of the Nazi police force, Himmler, the Gestapo and S.S. chief, signed the announcement. Ardent Nazi families preface announcements with “In proud mourn-: ing.” Others less concerned with the! political aspect of the war simply say: “In perpetual sadness.” It is apparent from these records that the vanguard of the Nazi troops fighting in Poland were chiefly men about 40 year s old. Most of the officers killed had served in the Great War. That fact is always mentioned. A linking-up of death and policy is to be found in announcements of the loss of German farmers in Poland. “Killed by Polish hordes” is the heading on three such announcements. It seems that a surprising number of German industrialists have been killed either “by accident” or died “suddenly” since the outbreak of war. The general manager of a big Berman metal firm, Carl von den Daele, is one of them. He died “suddenly.” Another is Herr Dr. Kruspig, manager of the important firm Rhenania-Ossag. He was 44, and died through an “accident.” The 50-year-old manager of Starck, Limited, in Hamburg, Christian Bender, died through heart failure.