Hitler's Bloodhounds

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

Hitler's Bloodhounds

BY their recent questions in Parliament M.P.'s showed anxiety over the work that the Nazi secret police may be doing in Britain. The subject is becoming a matter of common discussion, but however much the British authorities may know—and various veiled statements bv Minkters surest that they know quite a lot—the ordinary citizen knows very little about Germany's secret army. There is much in common between the Ogpu—as the Soviet secret police are called—and their Xazi counterparts in Germany. Ihe 'third Reich and Russia are both entiic bed in a secret police net which extends throughout the world. Known <is the Gestapo—from Geheinie Stunts I'uli/ei—"Hitler's Bloodhound*" know everything about everyone in < iermany. © © @ Their Berlin headquarters, in the Prinz Albreclit Strasse, is divided into many different departments. One organises the spies, who are to be found in every restaurant, cinema, theatre, exhibition—anywhere where the public gathers—to listen and make notes of people, and what they talk about. Another section is devoted to supervision of Catholics, Communists, Jews, Monarchists, and any other possible opponents of Hitlericin. Their letters are opened, their telephone lines topped, an.l their visitors are noted. Not even lii'-h officials in present-day Germany are spared these unwelcome" attentions. yuite recently Herr von Papen, until lately German Ambassador in Vienna, was asked by the Gestapo to account for his actions during a visit he paid to Berlin. ll* was accused of receiving visits from many Monarchists and other "reactionaries." Herr von Papen took more care after this warning. Yet another example of Gestapo activities against high personages was shown during Hitler's quarrel with his generals last February. The secret police had spied on Fritsch and Blomberg. and had drawn up a formidable list of "complaints" about them. Foreign newspaper correspondents are closely watched. I know how nerveracking it can become to have your telephone tapped every time you ring up with news. You can often hear the police listening. One correspondent in Berlin told me that he heard the Gestapo listening every night when he telephoned his newspaper in London. Nor does the Gestapo confine its activities to Germany. It keeps a close watch on refugees from Hitler's rule

By--N. P. Macdonald

living abroad; it hag its finger on the Press, parliaments and public opinion in every part of the British Empire. The fact that these activities in foreign countries are illegal make i>.. difference to the Gestapo. Field-Marshal Goering'g newspaper, the "National Zeitung." recently boa-:..! that the Nazis had perfected an organisation which could strike at their T.pj .rient« in foreign countries "with li-^htnin_: speed." It admitted that the German secret police have 20.000 apents abroad. 400 of them in Britain. © © © Before the start of the Spani.-h war the Gestapo net was widespread i:i the Peninsula. In France to-day German agents are very active, especially near the frontiers. All officers of the Gestapo are automatically servants of the State. Supposedly under the direction of the Ministry of the Interior in Berlin, tliev are, in fact, independent. Their independence was well illustrated by the fate of Pastor Xiemoiler who, having been freed by a court of law, was taken into "protective rti-t<«ly" by the Gestapo and sent to a concentration camp.

Such handedness has called forth criticism, even from Nazis. Dr. Gurtner, German Minister < ' Justice, told the Gestapo at. a übi tiieetinjr that they were not so efficient i"< they supposed. and that much of their detective work wa«* ''rather poi*r." Gestapo officiate tell inquiring tha<t there ore only concentration camps left ill Germany. Actually there are 11. several <>f »h;i.i were closed and had to be reopened. No one is safe from the Gestapo and indiscriminate arrest. In al.soli]t<» control of the Gestapo, Miid therefore with immense power in his soft luiiul-. If,-in!l, Hinniilcr, !!S-year-old l'eieh ('hie:' 1' <•«*. He was «:iven tin- f.<: i• •:i I.v deeres !'i I'.i.tf,. and ha- tii,. i -'r ; i,I <ill4*i! ' < i:m i in- M • V:. r ..f t!.« Interior"* .!• • j.:j• y. IJ> © © Looking m ,:e ],ke a urjik !- ma-ter, u ;til u at«■ r v . - :..:rilvi' '"'hind tlii.-k eta !e'-. ;r" ! :... . !iin >n a *iirti ot h:- di'tPMt. n.i' II Ni'i'hT Mt* at h:s d< — k ai.d U'.i\c- i ; ... i.e-ti' 11 well ever tn.»re i-in-dv ;l i. il. rii.an). His oTi.-ial salarv a ven: he L'et - n lin i a n.i^s." There Ik a l.i-ter f- : ! ' • \\a U« rr Hi?!) ruler a r:«1 1 V i r- .. I I met u !,„ f, •; ; v , Neit her U <| ii '• -■; ■ i « ' ••* ill. "i onle-ed < iet:, ■ <. '.«■ -h"t ~n .1n:,,. :;n. |1. thet ' II '••• , * I.V i:a\ <■ • ■ ■■ r.i .:e of 1 .1. • v. ii. '.. ... '• . tnun ::l • • ■ - ' • ~11 |■, , • , ■ and tin ii I. _ii,'. • . ~ jr: - : ' i •_ '' " •'»: n.\ |■ i: it. * hi '• ii-t a< ■■ nr.'. •! T!i.-v aI tor „. • ha ii.:. .i t,, i , ... ; • .. v u. • .' a' •:i• -i-. V..• ~ s 1 •' . f .1 .. :|.I .. ■ ; ;. day. ' ' 1 'heTn. a 11:' 1.. ' ;n !' 1 uoa r:fi'_' I';- :V .» u „ .1 "\\ ' v.ir.r life \ o i ; ... ■ Mi-em.' ' ■'line ]',i:;i" Hut H. ! r Hi i • i ; !, . " • i« r: a hapj.v a!, .tit ' f tl * r • ; ' M f. ■" I Jrotip <•. a Nil /■ !.. .: \ Is i> ' rern.ne patty ! !■•- •• . '.-1 * tea' hery. When 1 Iron;. (; • r,,.. .♦.n. *ix leaders ll<d fr.in. M■.• • I'.e'l.n I'.uir «.f t hen: I" "I ;.| ii id i' .-I " i i:i.* .• • , w!: , i'l live is Heitfh-h II ! r.