ANOTHER UNIFORM

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21245, 16 October 1940, Page 4

ANOTHER UNIFORM

MARSHAL OF REICH GEORING'S MAGNIFICENCE OUTSIZE IN BATONS (Times Air Mail Service.) LONDON, August 24. Appointing himself Emperor of France just before the battle of Trafalgar. Napoleon Bonaparte issued prizes to his pals, among them 14 generals who had helped him to power, says Cavalcade. They received title of Marshal of the Empire, and when other marshals were created these first fourteen were known as Marshals of the First Creation. Among the Firsts was dashing cavalry officer Gascon Joachim Murat. He revelled in theatrical display, wore fantastic uniforms, became the joke of Paris. When Adolf Hitler scanned his conquered domains a month ago before the assembled yesmen of the Reichstag, he also nominated marshals, a dozen of them, entitled them to deck themselves out in the splendid gear habitually affected by Marshal Hermann Goering. To meet other Nazis as fantastically arrayed as himself would have hurt Hermann, created trouble around the Fuehrer. So Adolf took the precaution of raising Goering to a First, named him to unique rank of Marshal of the German Reich. Le Goering: Alone in his glory, Hermann was then faced with a problem. So packed was his wardrobe with uniforms of all kinds that designers were hard put to devise another. At last he consulted his chief valet, hit on the idea of giving a party to the lesser marshals.

The carouse was staged at Goering’s sumptuous country residence. “ Karinhall,” so-called after his first wife, Karin, and while hundreds of brilliantly uniformed Nazis strutted around, the vale* 1 , took stock. Then followed a series of confabs with his tailors. Six outfits were strung together, fitted, completed, rejected. Spurning ersatz, Hermann wasted yards of good material. Finally he was satisfied, and the new marshals, now equipped with the former “ Hermann ” outfits, speculated what the new creation would be. As women are kept down to the drab exhibitions of ersatz, “ creations ” are the speciality of officerdom. Baton Parade The great speculation was answered when Hitler called the marshals together for the baton-presenting ceremony. Hermann turned up stubbily resplendent in light grey and gold braid, heavily capped with a golden eagle. Their own ungainly protuberance concealed in their newest gear, the marshals admired Goering’s colossal rotundity, took the first appearance with obedient and cumbrous solemnity. But when Hitler handed over the baton a faint titter went round. It was the biggest thing in baton history. Heavily carved and decorated, it was near two feet long, and it was as much as the Reich Marshal could do to get his chubby paw around it. The titter was, of course, involuntary and immediately dried up. Nevertheless, the episode goes the round of Berlin, where Goering has a new name attached to the new title —Marshal Hermann Murat. And it is whispered that the Reich Marshal, far from pleased with the gossip, is somewhat put out with the Fuehrer, who, he thinks, ordered the monstrous baton to rob Hermann of his popularity by making him appear just a wee bit ridiculous.