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Only President von Hindenburg could oust General von Schleicher as Chancellor and to do so he had only to refuse to sign a decree giving von Schleicher power to dissolve the Reichstag. Such power the President had given to all his Chancellors since enough Hitler Deputies began to be elected to make it impossible for a Cabinet opposed by Der Osaf to get a vote of confidence. Last week General von Schleicher, knowing that the Reichstag was about to meet this week, called on President von Hindenburg to ask for what had become "the usual powers of dissolution."
They were refused. The interview was as short as that of Hindenburg & Hitler last August. In effect Old Paul kicked out General von Schleicher & Cabinet, accepted their resignations. Why?
Straightforward and outspoken, President von Hindenburg has never concealed his preference for Franz von Papen as Chancellor. "With a heavy heart," he declared amid the Cabinet crisis last fall, "I have repressed my own personal inclination to reappoint Colonel von Papen and I have commissioned Defense Minister General von Schleicher to form a new Cabinet." Next day, ousted von Papen received a photograph of Der Reichspräsident inscribed in Old Paul's firm hand, Ich hatte einen Kameraden ("I had a Comrade"). By last week Comrade von Papen had convinced Comrade von Hindenburg that the best interests of the Fatherland demanded appointment of the leader of the largest party to be Chancellor. Proposing himself as Vice-Chancellor and Reich Commissioner for Prussia, Comrade von Papen argued that with this "safeguard" (himself) in the Cabinet it would be safe to appoint Hitler Chancellor. Devious but cogent, this proposition won 85-year-old Comrade von Hindenburg's "Ja!"
"Yes, Yes Indeed!" When sober, cold-water-shaven Adolf Hitler turned up for the third historic time at the President's Palace last week, he found Old Paul all smiles and spruce Colonel von Papen ready to pop the question: "Will you, Herr Reichspräsident, entrust Herr Hitler with a mandate to form a Cabinet?"
"Yes, Yes," said President von Hindenburg, "Yes indeed."
Outside the Palace, thousands of Hitlerites roared guttural victory cheers.
"Heil Hitler! Deutschland erwache! Juda verrecke!" they bellowed as he emerged waving his black felt hat. "Hail Hitler! Germany awake! Perish Juda!" Wasting not a second, Chancellor Hitler piled into his Mercedes beside the chauffeur, shot off between lines of police to form his Cabinet with record speed. There were rumors, doubtless untrue, but alarming, that General von Schleicher & Friends were about to attempt a "General's Putsch" and proclaim restoration of the House of Hohenzollern. In less than an hour the new Hitler Cabinet had met for a brief conference in the Reich Chancellery and Germans were staring at this slate:
Chancellor—Adolf Hitler
Vice-Chancellor and Reich Commissioner for the State of Prussia—Franz von Papen.
Foreign Minister—Baron Constantin von Neurath.
Minister of Interior—Dr. Wilhelm Frick (Reichstag Leader of the Hitler Party).
Defense—Lieut. General Werner von Blomberg.
Finance—Count von Krosigk.