GENERAL GOERING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1940, Page 11

GENERAL GOERING

IS HE IN DISGRACE. GERMANY’S NO. 1 MYSTERY. Goering, Germany’s No. 2 Nazi, is rapidly becoming Germany’s No. 1 Mystery. Goering the open, the frank, the affable—and the arrogant and ruthless —-has suddenly turned reticent, hidden, secretive, spending his days in retirement at his country estate in Schorfheide making no public appearances. making no speeches, taking, apparently, no part in the war of which he is Germany's chief organiser (remarks a writer in the London “NewsChronicle.") Why? All Germany and a good part of Europe are asking the question anxiously, for upon the answer may depend Germany's course in the next few months. Speculation is rampant. It is suggested that he is in disgrace with Hitler; that he is "sitting on the fence" between the pro and anti-Rus-sian factions in the Army and the Nazi Party; that he is sulking. Madame Tabouis suggests in the ‘Oeuvre" that Goering's retirement is connected with the kidnapping of MiBest and Mr Stevens in what has become known as “tne Venlo incident." In other quarters it is thought that Goering does not approve of the German official attitude of benevolence towards the Russian invasion of Finland. In this connection it may or may not be significant that Karl von Rosen, brother of Goering’s very dearly loved first wife, is Swedish. Goering himself has many friends imong Swedish industrialists. Whatever the reason for Goering's temporary obscurity, it is politically important. He is still very popular ■n Germany, he is still the named heir ',o Hitler’s Leadership, he is still, next to Hitler, the most powerful Nazi. He s too strong to “purge.” What course of action he eventually decides upon may quite well also determine Germany's course in the next few months of war. "The News Chronicle" Amsterdam ’orrespondent telephones: Just before ‘he war began to give the appearanre (hat unity existed between all the Nazi bosses Hitler made Goering chief of a special Council of Defence which was created on August 30. There is no j '.race to be found of this body ever having met. Whether Goering is at present in semi-retirement on Hitler's orders or whether he lias chosen this course for himself so that he will not bo contoromised personally in any decision iVhich may be taken, is not known, but it seems certain al least that the Fuehrer is not listening to his advice.