July 10.
Herr Hi assembled itler's speech to the: Governors on Thurs-indicated some of the difficul._ ties now being experienced by ithe new Ge government in the light lof its med chanical eliminate formal opposition and criticism. The proposed abel ion of the
Ibe interpreted in German; system, however that be supported by the adop! certain pri inciples the naivety of apparent. Not the least signi ficant is the discovery that for a technical job a techni-leal expert 4s better than a good.
This must come as a Jshock to some of Herr Hitler's Jdoubt, the ithe Nazi followers but, no recent absorption into fold-of the now un-' recognised disciples of other doctrines will help to temper the change of direction. As things jate to-day Germany under Herr Hitler is delivered hand and foot unto a myopic anzsthesia. The strictest censorship of the press, lof the habits of the people and Jof the political movements of the country has been establish-led. In so far as this concerns the welfare of the German people it is beyond the scope of outside criticism. But, as this journal has consistently pointed Jout and as Sir Austen Chamberlain weightily affirmed in the House of Commons on Wednes-
Jday, Germany has to convince the world that her return to the Jcomity of nations will be marked by a reasonable spirit. How can such a spirit be engendered when "menacing, inflammatory, biassed und one-sided" pro paganda, to use Sir Austen's words emanates from every speech? That the Treat Versailles, as now seen, in need of revision on grounds of equity may be conceded. That the growth of Hitlerism has been jin some measure due to. the blindness of those who have handled the problems of the Treaty will be recognised, It must, however, be remembered that,' misguided though the Allied nations may have been in 1919, they were not unnaturally influenced by a vivid rome prance of the extravagant utt lances of pre-war German land statesmen who, condi the certainty of a German vi tory, were by no means mealymouthed in indicating the line of jection to be taken when that victory was accomplished, Young Germany to-day cannot be fairly expected to take those things fully into account. The tragedy lies in the fact that by Hitlerism young Germany is! being wilfully fed on perverted propaganda which 30 grossly' migrepresents conditions from 1918 onwards that a fair reconciliation of points of view with the outside world becomes virtually impossible. Pity for the rising generation in Ger-y is genuinely felt by those who perceive how disastrous may be the disillusionment which. must come when the inevitable contacts with other nations ort themselves. To-day, in another column, an esteemed [German correspondent unconsciously reveals the effect of this, flkind of propaganda his mature mind, He discerns in this \journal an inveterate refuse] to be fair, a malicious intention where no. such intention can possibly be alleged and he Iwiifully shuts his eyes to the plain implications of action which—if human relationships late ever to be regulated by pledges of good faith—admittedly defy solemn obligation: accepted. What must be the view of younger Germans who have never known any other version of world-events except that put out by the Nazi system lof instruction? Is it surprising that they consider it possible, by the mere reiteration of pre-pesterous denials, to wipe out all records of misdoing and misjealculation? Only a year ago thousands of Germans not merely disagreed with Herr Hitler but actively disliked him. Because they are silent or converted today is it necessary for foreign observers immediately. to abandon all critical faculties and to accept at German instigation the complete reversal of interpretations hitherto placed on German actions?. In truth there has been and is much sympathy' with certain. of Herr "Hitler's doctrines. The world has been in danger of accepting too readily "all versions of international thought as morally and intellectually progress A healthy and robust restoration lof disciplined action and precept would have been welcomed. It might have provided a grateful antidote to a flabby indulgence which, amid much that has been good, has weakened the hands of statesmanship. The sanity of ithe disciplinarian seems some-thow to have been overshadowed lby the spirit of the bully, the regulated rigour of the trained physique has been smirched by the brutality of the gangster. Herr Hitler has many symp ithisers even among his extreme orities in his indictment of ion prohibited without permission. democracy, but his regime spite of itself has become merged lin tyrannical self-sufficiency. To its credit must be assigned the concordat effected with the Roman Catholic Hierarehy. Indeed the apparently successful demarcation between the politi= feal and re fous functions of the Catholic Church isan achievement on which both the Chancellor and the Pope are to warmly congratulated. It betokens a welcome victory. for tolerance, but, it must be judged jin the event by the extent to which its underlying principles ire given scope in other aspects of German polity.
While the world has confined good deal of its adverse criticism of Herr Hitler's regime to the treatment of German Jews, the severity of whose plight, is Jagain exemplified in the action against the Jewish doctors of that account will have to be must not be forgotten taken of the manner in which the professional woman is being, eliminated from German life. The apparently innocuous announcement that the Prussian Ministry of Education desires to live to women's education a Jdomestic rather than a scientific bias may be lightly applauded by superficial exponents of theory that "a woman's place is the home." There is a sterner implication, 'The professional woman in' Germany is being leradually turned out of all ko positions: her existence stake, The International Coun-of Women—an organisation which has done good service all lover the world—has been di banded in Germany. This drive jagainst_ women has been subtly ldirected—far more subtly than that against the Jews and Socialists. Tt is a little ironical learn' that just, when the Seraglio, the age-old symbol, of has reached relegation to the specious ery of "back to the kitchen" should be included in the programme of the adminis—tration now ruling in modern Germany. Lord Rothermere, in hhis breezy testimonial to his own prescient support of Herr Hitler Jata time when Germans th selves were hostile to the Nazi creed, may, as a stunt artist, revel in this further evidence of reactionary triumphs in Berlin. He is not bound, however, to consistent regard for any policy Jas his record plainly shows. It is to be feared that unless Herr Hitler can gradually retrace his steps in this and other lines of Nazi action the eventual revulsion of feeling will bring a terrible revenge in its trai The victory won over the Unions and the Socialists has been sweeping and decisive, Can Herr Hitler ignore the probable repercussions when Germany's foreign policy requires apprecia-ye consideration ji tries? Is he so sure of success in tackling the grave economic problems ahead as to be able to Hour the political experience and technical knowledge which organized labour in the last cen tury has been able to amass? That is why friends of Germany, sympathisers with her struggles jand trials since 1918 and believers in her fundamental greatness are not prepared to be brow beaten by calumny and Jabuse into uncritical endorsement of Herr Hitler's programme or unreserved tribute to the manner of its execution,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.