Foreign News: Uber Alles!

Sleek, soft-spoken Chancellor Franz von Papen, whose most violent gesture is frequently to take off and twirl his eyeglasses, thunderstruck the world last week by a series of provocative acts, all performed with utmost urbanity:

Blow at Britain. Quietly upping a long list of German tariff schedules by decree. Chancellor von Papen choked off Great Britain’s chief exports to the Reich, notably textiles, the duty on which he raised 300%.

Within 20 hours the British Government retaliated by decreeing similar prohibitive duties which choked off German exports of gloves and sausages to Britain. In the White House, worried President Hoover wondered what to do about prohibitive duties imposed by the von Papen decree on cash registers, typewriters and other office equipment of which the U. S. normally exports to Germany some $6,000,000 worth per year.

Reminder to France. Next von Papen sent an ultimatum to France, discreetly conveyed in the form of an aide-mémoire handed by German Foreign Minister Baron Constantin von Neurath to French Ambassador Andre Frangois-Poncet in Berlin. This little reminder merely asked that France consent to revision of the Treaty of Versailles in such fashion as to give Germany a war strength equal to her own.

In Paris, fat, good-natured Premier Edouard Herriot ignored the loud screams of rage and fear of the whole French Press, sent word to. Berlin that “naturally” all signatories to the Treaty of Versailles would have to be consulted and that France will consult them. Next day signatory Poland announced her “categorical objection” to any change in the Treaty of Versailles and signatory Britain took steps. At the Empire’s grimy Foreign Office correspondents were negatively told that His Majesty’s Government was not backing Germany in her demands on France. Paris newspapers, overjoyed, hailed this as proof that the Accord de Confiance quietly initialed by Prime Minister MacDonald and Premier Herriot at Lausanne (TIME. July 25) is a real entente which worked last week when tested in the open.

Give Back All! In Berlin the serenely provoking Chancellor received his old friend Charles A. Oberwager, the Manhattan lawyer who defended Franz von Papen in 1915 when U. S. newspapers called him a “German spy” and accused him of plotting to blow up U. S. munition plants. Lawyer Oberwager hastened to Paris and there said (presumably with his former client’s permission ) :

“Germany’s aide-memoire respecting her right to re-arm will be followed within a month by demands for restoration to her by the Allies of territories seized during the War and now administered as mandates by Great Britain. France and Japan. . . . The day is not far off when Germany will also demand restoration of territories seized from her on the Continent” (Alsace-Lorraine, the Polish Corridor, parts of Upper Silesia, Eupen & Malmedy, Danzig, the Saar. etc., etc.). Chancellor von Papen wrote in Der Saar Frennd last week: “The Saar District is German and wants to remain German. . . .* Growing knowledge of the real sentiments of the Saar population leads me to hope—without indulging in illusions —that the arbitrarily created problem of the Saar may soon be solved in accordance with the wishes of the entire population of the district and the whole of Germany.”

180,000 Steel Helmets. Also last week, Franz von Papen offered to Europe and to the world a mighty spectacle of parading manpower, such a spectacle as Germans have not seen since Wilhelm II was the All Highest.

The Kaiser, who liked to vex France by reminding her every year of her defeat at Sedan in 1870, used to review his Guards Regiments on “Sedan Day” each September at what is now Berlin’s Tempelhofer Air Field. In 1910, each astride a horse, His Majesty and ex-President Roosevelt reviewed the Guards. “When we shake hands,” cried excitable Wilhelm pumping his guest’s right, “we shake the world!”

One day last week Tempelhofer was cleared of all the constantly arriving and departing planes which make it Europe’s premier airdrome. It became once again a vast parade ground. Tramp, tramp, tramp, 180,000 German War veterans marched onto Tempelhofer while 900 brass band instruments blared Deutschland Uber Alles! The trampers were Ger many’s “Steel Helmets” (equivalent to the American Legion but more militant). Organized by one-armed Franz Seldte, a soda water manufacturer, they claim a membership of 1,000,000. The 180,000 who paraded last week paid their own way to Berlin from all over Germany,, arrived in drab field grey uniforms, each carrying a soldier’s knapsack, wearing a steel helmet.

Hero of the day was neither Chancellor von Papen nor ex-Crown Prince Wilhelm (though both were present and well cheered), but a scowling Field Marshal who rode in a big white motorcar, stiffly erect, wearing the gruesome skull & crossed bones headgear of Prussia’s Death’s Head Hussars.

This was General Field Marshal August von Mackensen. “the Conqueror of Rumania,” a real War hero. Who, after all, is von Papen? Who is the ex-Crown Prince? Instinctively Germany’s veterans roared their loudest cheers for von Mackensen. They might have cheered President von Hindenburg louder, but Old Paul was not present. While he has nothing against Soda Vater Maker Seldte, the President dislikes the Steel Helmets’ second-in-command, blustering Col. Theodore Diisterberg. who ran against von Hindenburg in Germany’s last presidential election (TIME, March 21).

Significance. Though astoundingly provocative, the acts of Franz von Papen last week were plainly designed to steal Adolf Hitler’s thunder and head off his Fascist movement. The German people were shown that they already possess a government which can and does demand from the Allies every concession which “Handsome Adolf” can think of—and possibly a few more.

Chancellor von Papen, a nonentity and the puppet of his Defense Minister General Kurt von Schleicher, was afraid last week, not of being too provocative, but lest he should not be provocative enough to suit the German people in their present temper. While Fascist Hitler is supported by 230 Reichstag Deputies (largest party). Chancellor von Papen stands repudiated even by his own party, rules Germany solely by the dictatorial grace of President von Hindenburg advised by General von Schleicher.

The final, supreme audacity of the Papen-Hindenburg-Schleicher dictature last week was an internal act which was somewhat masked by the week’s external events. This was to carve up the Free State of Prussia into “provinces”, a move to bulwark their power against all the extremist parties—Fascists, Socialists. Communists. Yet even in Prussia the Government showed their fear of Fascism. Sentenced to death for killing a Communist, five Fascists were awaiting execution (TIME, Sept. 5). Suddenly their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment—which means pardon if Herr Hitler should become Chancellor.

“I won’t lose my head.” shouted Leader Hitler at a huge rally of his followers last week in Berlin’s Sportspalast. “I am 43 years old, while my opponent [Hindenburg] is 84. My breath will last longer than my opponent’s!”

*Under the Treaty of Versailles inhabitants of the Saar will decide by plebiscite in 1935 whether to remain under the present League of Nations rule by a Commission, unite with France or revert to Germany by purchase—if Germany is then able & willing to buy back her Saar mines.