Adolf Hitler turned 47 last week. On ordinary days the Realmleader has come to maintain a worshipful wall around himself against even the biggest of the Nazi bigwigs. On his birthday, however, he welcomed them all at the Berlin Chancellery, glowed under their congratulations, revived Kaiser Wilhelm's practice of birthday honors.
Honors. To War Minister General Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg the Führer last week presented a field marshal's baton, first ever given in Germany in peacetime.* He made Air Minister Hermann Goring and Army Chief of Staff Werner von Fritsch colonel-generals and Fleet Commander Erich Raeder an admiral-general (something new). Colonel-general and admiral-general were also promoted to full Cabinet rank. To the smiling group in the Chancellery, suffused with pink German sentiment, the Führer readily launched into oratory: "On this day I look back with pride and joy upon the years that lie behind us. ... Our miraculous resurrection fills me with deep gratitude toward all those who, by their faithful cooperation, have made possible my successful leadership of the nation. ... By reason of this revitalization of our national strength I feel we shall better be able to preserve for our people and possibly also for others that peace upon which so much happiness and prosperity depend."
Parade. Then they all went out to review a sample parade of the new German Army, Adolf Hitler's gift to the German people. While the band played Deutschland über Alles and mounted kettledrummers performed traditional feats of skill, 350 light whippet tanks camouflaged ready for action rolled down Unter den Linden and the Charlottenburger Chaussée. Behind came yellow and green armored cars filled with riflemen; armored motorcycles; machine-gun companies; anti-aircraft batteries with searchlights and direction finders; motorized heavy artillery and, to show that the Army is also ready for the swamps of Eastern Europe, an equal number of horse-drawn heavy artillery. Finally came the dull field-grey tide of marching men, one division (12,000) of infantry, their buttons not polished, as for a parade, but lampblacked, as for action.
Berlin Nazis sang an unofficial little tune :
Today we own Germany And tomorrow the whole world.
Speaking next day at the new aviation school in suburban Gatow, General Göring made a bad break by referring to Adolf Hitler as "Supreme Wrar Lord." Since such a title still has a sinister, Kaiserish smell in international noses, Minister of Propaganda Goebbels promptly scotched it.
Last_week Adolf Hitler went on to take strategic advantage of other men's anniversaries.
Hero Genera. Against the fact that Major General Hans von Seeckt created Germany's superb little "expert army' under the Treaty of Versailles stood, until last week, the facts that lie smashed Adolf Hitler's "Beer Hall Putsch" in Munich in 1923, that he has a "non-Aryan"' wife. Lately, however, Adolf Hitler has decided that his 1923 failure was a good idea. Last week General von Seeckt turned 70 and Adolf Hitler named him honorary commander of the 67th Infantry Regiment, to be called henceforth the General von Seeckt Regiment.