The announcement over the German radio that Dr. Hans Frank has been appointed supreme head of the government of the area of Poland which has been occupied by Germany does not forecast a happy future for that country. Against Dr. Frank, personally, there is little to be said, except that in his opinions and beliefs he seems to suffer from an aggravated form of that mentality which is a feature of all the Nazi leaders. Unless Dr. Frank takes unto himself the privilege of changing his mind every few months or so, as some of his superiers in the Nazi organization seem to do, his idea of the responsibility which has been laid upon him can be measured by a declaration he made at Frankfurt on Main at the end of October, 1925, when he was Minister of Justice. At that time he stated:
"Formerly, we were ín the habit of saying: "This is right or wrong'; today we must put the question accordingly: "What would the Fuehrer This attitude towards the Fuehrer as well his own person, are the Categorical Imperative to which German life must henceforward conform. We are under the obligation of recognizing as a holy work of our Volk's spirit the laws signed by Adolf Hitler's name. Hitler kas received his authority from God. Therefore he is a champion, sent by God, for German right in the world."
There should be no need to emphasize that this strange declaration was made by a Minister of Justice. If it means anything at all, it means that the only justice to be adi led is the of the Fuehrer. As this will is so uncertain that it is not known from day to day, the quality of the justice administered can be guessed. Yet Dr. Frank has been appointed to rule over and to restore to normal a large part of a country which has been ravaged by troops and aeroplanes in heroic defence of its liberties, and sadly needs a capable and sympathetic hand to guide it from chaos to law and order. To Dr. Frank there is only one law—what the Fuehrer says. To him there is only one right—German right. It may, therefore, be confidently predicated that his governorship of German-occupied Poland will not be a success,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.