arranged, no individual would venture so far as to make himself a marked man. It is estimated certainly that fifty to sixty per cent of those who participate in these meetings, are not active sympathizers with the present regime. These propaganda methods, however, are arranged with a great deal of cleverness, and it is safe to say that an increasingly large percentage of the workers is won over into the fold. There is probably no organization in Germany which is putting so much pressure of propaganda upon its members as the German Labor Front. The fact that it has been impossible up to the present time really to bring about a betterment of the position of the workers, makes it necessary to work all the harder to persuade the laboring masses that conditions in Germany are better. Discontentment naturally exists among those whose hours of labor have been cut down to afford opportunities of labor for those previously unemployed. The simple worker, too, has realized that a great deal has been done to make the position. of members of the party more prosperous. Thousands of jobs have been created for the National-Socialist stormtroopers, and hundreds of thousands of the less fortunate have been shoved off into voluntary labor camps. The necessity for continuous propaganda is apparent to the leaders. Fraternal organizations of all sorts, the so-called Verbaende, which were more or less affiliated with the old labor unions, were allowed to continue their existence in a strictly unpolitical way since the Government came into power. It has been lately realized that these Verbaende have neutralized the desired unanimity in the German Labor Front. Therefore these Verbaende have now been forbidden. During the first few days of this month prominent persons here and there have publicly announced their adherence to the German Labor Front. Dr. Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach became a member on December 4. Dr. Keppler, the economic adviser to the Chancellor, became a member on December 2. Oberbuergermeister Dr. Sahm enrolled among the members of the German Labor Front. The individuality of this great organization has been emphasized through several outward signs, which are calculated to induce a greater solidarity in the ranks of the German Labor Front. All the members are to have a "Festanzug", that is a holiday uniform, and a badge. The uniform is to consist of a double-breasted coat and trousers of dark blue color, with a blue cap similar to those worn by naval officers. It is in fact copied from one of the uniforms of the old army. Instead of a cocarde, the embroidered badge of the organization is to be placed on the cap. The badge consists of a cogwheel with the swastika in the center. With the blue suit, a white shirt, a black tie and black shoes must be worn. As the Government is not to pay for this uniform, it is not known how universally it will be worn. The cost, however, is fixed as low as twenty marks, and great efforts are being made to produce the cloth cheaply, and an arrangement has been made with tailoring establishments all over Germany to produce these suits at the very lowest cost and all according to the official model. Besides, the German Labor Front is to have its own anthem. Regarding the anthem, which has been composed by one Dr. Eckert and one Pietzner-Clausen, it is stated that it has a rhythm and a melody that get into the blood. The introductory words indicate the character of the song: "In die Arbeitsschlacht" (on to the battle of labor). After it was announced that all members of the German Labor Front would be required to wear a uniform, "Der Deutsche", the organ of the Labor Front, came out and announced that the textile industry and the tailors in Germany would find full employment for a year. It is thought, however, in order to realize this vast scheme that it will be necessary for the Government to provide an ample subvention for the textile industry in order that it may be able to produce the cloth cheap enough to be within the reach of the mass of workers. Respectfully yours, RAYMOND H. GEIST RELATIONS OF THE NAZI REGIME WITH THE EVANGELICAL AND ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES 862.404/11 The Chargé in Germany (Gordon) to the Secretary of State No. 2319 BERLIN, April 21, 1933. [Received May 5.] SIR: I have the honor to report that the question of Gleichschaltung (see despatch No. 2287 of April 6, 1933 80) has now been extended to the relation of the Church to the State. In this connection, an intense dispute has broken out in evangelical church circles. The interesting thing about this dispute is that the heads of the evangelical church, who until a few months ago were the target for attacks from Left political circles because of their lukewarm attitude toward the Republic, are now being attacked most violently by the "German Christians," the Nazi organization within the evangelical church. The "German Christians" want a State church headed by Nazis, and with this end in view they are striving to force out the present heads of the evangelical church, who are largely conservatives and monarchists. In Prussia, they are demanding the revocation of the present Constitution of the evangelical churches and the calling of a new constitutional assembly for the purpose of adopting a Constitution in uniformity with the political complexion of the Government. The conflict 90 Ante, p. 270. is extremely bitter because the present heads of the evangelical church are energetically opposed to a State church controlled by the Nazis. At their first national convention held in Berlin early this month, the "German Christians" passed a resolution to the effect that the State needed the church as an instrument to educate the people and to inculcate in them the spirit of the new State, and that the church must therefore be made uniform with the Government in the Reich. They contend that this can not be accomplished merely by replacing the present heads of the evangelical church with Nazis, and demand the abolition of the present church parliamentary bodies based on a democratic Constitution. They have in mind a uniform State church headed by a bishop. The Nazis want a thoroughly "Germanized Christianity". The church envisaged by them would be based on "the trinity of the divine creation of state, nation and race," and would be imbued with an "heroic" godliness. In line with this, they demand that the church revise its attitude towards the Old Testament, which they wish replaced by the old sagas and legends immortalized in the Wagnerian operas, and that the Bible be also revised in accordance with this new spirit of Christianity. Needless to say, the new church, like the state, must expressly uphold the principle of racial purity. The heads of the church must not only be politically acceptable to the Nazis, they must also be of pure Aryan origin. Members of the evangelical church who marry a non-Aryan are to be expelled. The present church tax is to be abolished and, instead of this tax, a state cultural tax is to be introduced, with which other institutions as well as the churches are to be financed. The "German Christians" believe in the training of youth by the state, and it is planned to assign this function in large measure to the new state church. They apparently have in mind organizations of the evangelical German youth which would in effect be ecclesiastical storm detachments imbued with a militaristic spirit, from which members for the regular storm detachments could later be recruited. In order to expedite matters, the Nazis are urging the appointment of state commissioners to be charged with the task of reorganizing the church. The head of the "German Christians," Nazi pastor Hossenfelder, who performed the services at the state burial of a member of a Nazi Storm Detachment in Berlin who was shot by Communists after the torchlight procession in honor of Hitler's appointment to the Chancellorship (see despatch No. 2178 of February 7, 1933, page 3 81), has been assigned to the Prussian Ministry of Education, in charge of the preliminary work. This appointment is looked upon with misgivings by the present heads of the church. Pastor Hossenfelder is a rabid Nazi and at the recent 81 Not printed. convention of the "German Christians" he openly declared that a pious Protestant has the right to revolt against church authorities who are reluctant to recognize the victory of the national revolution. In anticipation of a reorganization of the evangelical church by the Nazis, the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Church is itself taking steps for a reorganization, in order to prevent the church from becoming a purely Nazi institution. It has also appealed to the Reich Government, pointing out that in his speech at Potsdam, Chancellor Hitler recognized the existence and independence of the church and that the demands of the "German Christians" are incompatible with this standpoint. However, the "German Christians" appear determined to thwart any attempt to reorganize the church along lines that would not give complete control to the Nazis. By withholding appropriations and the confirmation of appointments of new heads of the church, the Nazicontrolled Government in Prussia is in a position, on the basis of the existing agreement between the church and the Prussian State, to exert the necessary pressure in order to achieve this end. A threat to this effect has already been made by Herr Kube, the leader of the Nazi delegation in the Prussian Diet. While the Gleichschaltung of the Protestant churches in Germany may be a comparatively easy matter, despite the vigorous resistance by the present heads of the church-and even here the possibility that certain groups may secede from the church should not be disregardedthe appointment of state commissioners for the Catholic church is certain to meet with great difficulty. Though the Catholics have shown a willingness to cooperate with the present regime in the Reich, it is inconceivable that they should agree to any infringement of Papal influence. The concordats concluded between the various German States and the Holy See constitute a serious obstacle to the application of the Gleichschaltung principle to the Catholic church. Vice Chancellor von Papen's recent visit to Rome may have some bearing on the present attempts of the Nazis to obtain control of the churches. Respectfully yours, GEORGE A. GORDON 862.00 P.R./136 The Chargé in Germany (Gordon) to the Secretary of State No. 2415 SIR: [Extract] 81a BERLIN, May 20, 1933. [Received June 3.] 9. The Reorganization of the Evangelical Church. In accordance with Hitler's wish, Chaplain Müller, his personal representative in the negotiations with the Evangelical Churches, has taken over the leadership of the "German Christians," the Nazi organization in the Evangelical Church, replacing Pastor Hossenfelder. This change in the leadership is expected to clarify the situation created by the demands of the Nazis for religious Gleichschaltung. Chaplain Müller is a man of more moderate views than his predecessor, who believed apparently that the primary function of the Church should be to preach the gospel of the Third Reich. Under Chaplain Müller's leadership, an agreement with other Evangelical groups on the highly controversial question of a Reich Evangelical Church seems now more likely. Respectfully yours, GEORGE A. GORDON 862.404/17 The Chargé in Germany (Gordon) to the Acting Secretary of State No. 2456 BERLIN, June 2, 1933. [Received June 16.] SIR: In continuation of section 9 of despatch No. 2415 of May 20, 1933, and with particular reference to despatch No. 2319 of April 21, 1933, I have the honor to report that, while the foundation for a Reich Evangelical Church has now been definitely laid, the selection of a Reich Bishop for the unified church has resulted in a conflict with the "German Christians." A special committee of three, representing the Federation of German Evangelical Churches, together with Army Chaplain Müller, who has been conducting negotiations with the churches as Chancellor Hitler's personal representative, has agreed upon the outlines of the new Reich Evangelical Church, which is to embrace the whole of German Protestantism under a Reich Bishop. Pastor v. Bodelschwingh, the head of the Bethel Institutions, a charitable organization of the Evangelical 81a Another portion of this despatch is printed on p. 319. |