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"Great as is our love for our army as the bearer of our arms and the symbol of our great past, yet we would be happy if the world, through limitation of armaments, would render increase of our own weapons nevermore necessary. . . .
"It [the National Socialist Government] is determined in four years to make good the wrongs of 14 years. . . .
"Faithful to the command of the General Field Marshal, we wish to begin. May Almighty God take our work in His mercy, mold our will rightly, bless our insight and favor us with the confidence of our people. For we wish to fight, not for ourselves, but for Germany."
Four-Year Plans. Campaign workers at Fascist headquarters indicated that Chancellor Hitler's strategy is to avoid defining either his "Four-Year Plans'' or other features of the Cabinet's program until Germany's elections have been won by bombast, demagoguery, appeals to patriotism and prejudice.
When correspondents cornered the Chancellor last week, when one of them asked flatly for an explanation of his Four-Year Plan to end unemployment, Herr Hitler dynamically but disarmingly replied: "I am glad you asked me that! If I had wanted to make a campaign speech I could have promised that by the middle of March unemployment would have been wiped out and by May the farmer would have been back on his feet.
"But you didn't hear me do that! I'm more honest than most of my opponents. I wouldn't make such promises.
"It is impossible to head a ship on the right course in a moment. It takes time. All I ask is four years!"
Reactions to Hitler. As one Fascist to another, Chancellor Hitler said to the Berlin correspondent of Italy's semi-official Giornale d'Italia: "I have always stressed the necessity of a cordial relationship with Italy, and now that I am responsible for German statesmanship, I am determined to realize this aim. . . . I extend my greetings, not as Chief of the Government but as a fighter for a common idea."
In Rome Il Duce waited, as did other European statesmen, to see how big and how prolonged a flash Chancellor Hitler will be in Germany's pan. Said Giornale d'Italia: "Italy cannot but greet with profound cordiality the new German Government. . . . Italy, far from fearing, hails the development of this new force."
In other capitals than Rome, leading newsorgans were extremely cautious in their comments. Typical, the London Times observed that "resignation to the inevitable [appointment of Hitler as Chancellor] is far from implying satisfaction."
"Whether Hitler succeeds in maintaining power or whether he very soon falls." said Le Temps of Paris, his chancellorship ''ordains the greatest vigilance and prudence as regards limitation or reduction of armaments."
Among semi-official newsorgans only the Belgrade Pravda, mouthpiece of Jugoslavia's anxiously anti-Italian Government, raised a desperate alarm: "The rise of Hitler as Chancellor means the rebirth of the old, imperialistic, warlike Germany, thirsting for revenge!"