The Reticence of Herr Hitler

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 8

The Reticence of Herr Hitler

The most remarkable feature of Herr Hitler's birthday celebrations is an «vent which did not. occur—a speech by the Fuehrer himself. The crowds who assembled outside the Chancellery were rewarded by a brief glimpse of a familiar figure in a field-grey uniform, and by nothing more. Six weeks have now elapsed since Herr Hitler made his last public utterance—a 13xninute address at the Heroes' Memorial Day celebration in the Armoury Museum in Berlin It was, for him, au unusual address, since it was restrained in tone and entirely devoid of political allusions. In the period since then, the whole character of the war has been changed by the conclusion of peace between Russia and Finland and by the German invasion of Denmark and Norway. It is remarkable that Herr Hitler has had nothing to say about any of these events, that he has not offered' the customary flamboyant, justification of an act of German aggression, that he has not made a triumphal entry into the newly acquired territories, and that mention of his name in German broadcasts and propaganda statements is growing less and less frequent. To say this is not to give credence to any of the fantastic rumours' about Herr Hitler thai have been current for the last six months. The .facts are sufficiently significant to be allowed to speak for themselves. Herr Hitler is by nature the;most talkative statesmen post-war Europe has produced; he owes his rise entirely to his amazing gifts as a popular orator; and the whole National Socialist dictatorship has been built around an elaborate dramatisation of his personality. That he has so suddenly been withdrawn from the limelight indicates clearly enough, whatever else it may indicate, that Since the beginning of the war a profound. change has taken place in the structure and the methods of that dictatorship. <Tor can the change be attributed wholly to the increased importance of the German High Command in

the whole sphere of government as a result of the war. It is noticeable that the eclipse of Kerr- Hi tier lias not been accompanied by a similar eclipse of all of the Nazi leaders; indeed, the importance of General Goering seems to have increased.