IDEALS IN GERMANY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 271, 29 August 1935, Page 3

IDEALS IN GERMANY

Of the many extravagant speeches delivered around summer solstice bonfires in Germany recently, General Goering’s is much the most interesting says the Berlin correspondent of the “Morning Post.” With that impulsiveness which is his most characteristic trait, General Goering swept threateningly from theology to politics, and from Karl Marx to the Prince of \Vales, and the latter’s suggestion of fraternal contact between British and German ex-servicemen. General Goering maintained that when Germans met to-day in old tribal meeting places to kindle summer solstice bonfires they were performing a holy rite. Germany had experienced once again the call of the blood. L does not matter,” he said, “if they dub our thousand-year-old forefathers pagans. What matters is that our forefathers were of the same Germanic Nordic blood as ourselves. If they want to, let them condemn as paganism our respect for owr forefathers’ history and our pilgrimages to our forefathers meeting places. But they must not mind when, rather than listen to the garrulity of quarrelsome parsons, we prefer to meet in national unity to raise our hearts to our Fuehrer’s ideal. “It is better to testify in Clod’s open air to the unity of our nation than to disintegrate it with confessional wrangling. And when they say wo have destroyed belief w r e -ask when. Germans have ever before believed so deeply and passionately as they do to-day. “Has there ever been a strongei faith than the faith of the I ue brei'. Who fias ever kindled more brightly the torch of faith? Who gave a new faith to the despairing German nation and with the strength of this passionate faith rebuilt the nation ? is better to be strong in the faith of one s nation than to have forgotten a lot ol catechism.” . The German people. General Goering continued, were not impressed in fa. fetched miracles when the greatest miracle of all had happened in then own time. “This miracle the Almighty worked through Adolf Hitler the miracle of Germany’s Resurrection. Great nations had vanished because they lacked the strength to maintain their blood upon the earth, said General Goering. Germany would have vanished too, if it had not been lor \dolf Hitler and the Nazi movement. “It-is perhaps an inevitable concatenation that the nation which itsell has a strain of Germanic blood has been the first to recognise Germany because this Germany once again deserved respect and has become a dependable factor. “We are glad to acknowledge tins i respect lor out of respect grows rriend--1 ship and only out of respect and ; friendship grows true peace. For the saihe reason we gladly welcome tile > Prince of Wales’ statement. He mny -rest assured that we shall take the hand of the English ex-servicemen. Among German ex-servicemen they will find iaspect, understanding and comradeship.”