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"To us," he cried, "the old Imperial Germany was a state for which we were proud to fight—a state with glorious traditions. The second Reich in which we now are living is predicated on democracy and pacifism. We propose to make the third Reich one of healthy and glorious nationalism—a state for the people, and shall put an end to the process of national disintegration. We shall accomplish this with legal and constitutional means, and shall mold our state into that form which we deem necessary for it!"
Queried Judge Baumgarten: "What form?"
Hesitating not a second, Herr Hitler roared back:
"If our movement succeeds we shall erect a people's tribunal before which the November criminals of 1918* shall expiate their crime and I frankly predict you shall then see their heads rolling in the sand.
"We National Socialists [Fascists] refuse to recognize the treaties concluded over the heads of the German people as of permanent duration and also propose to fight the War guilt lie! We shall seek to abrogate or revise these by diplomatic negotiations, and I solemnly assert if these fail we shall proceed to ignore or circumvent them, with legal means if possible; failing that, with illegal means. The world may call that illegal, but I am answerable solely to the German people for my actions!"
"Blessed Be . . . Youth!" After such staggering words from the leader of Germany's No. 2 party (the Socialists are No. I), French, German, British papers seethed. Viscount Rothermere, blatant "Hearst of England," who would like to see a dictator (himself) in London, personally visited Munich (Hitler bailiwick) last week, sent glowing cables to his Daily Mail:
"We must change our conception of Germany. Hitherto we have thought of her as a prisoner of war.
"The new Germany is rising before our eyes. She is strong today and she will be much stronger a few years hence. She is determined now and she may before long be defiant.
"Under Herr Hitler's control, the youth of Germany will be effectively organized against the corruption of Communism."
Hindenburg Dictatorship? In Berlin, tense with rumors of imaginary Fascist putsches which did not materialize last week, stern old President Paul von Hindenburg and grimly determined Chancellor Heinrich Briining considered what they should do.
If Herr Hitler had spoken as he did in the sanctum sanctorum of German justice at Leipzig, into what inflammatory bombast might he not burst when the new Reichstag convenes on Oct. 16 next? Herren Hindenburg and Briining know as well as anyone else that the German Republic was actually proclaimed "not in written but in spoken words" from a window of the Reichstag by one Philipp Scheidemann, Socialist deputy who had neither "right" to do so nor "reason" to expect success (except the shouts of the mob). What has happened once can happen again.