Late News BEHIND SCENES IN REICH

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 270, 10 August 1943, Page 5

Late News BEHIND SCENES IN REICH

Fight For Power MAZE OF REPORTS AND RUMOURS Direction Of Events (By Telegraph —Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received August 10, 12.30 p.tm.) LONDON, August 9. A great struggle (behind the scenes is being waged in Germany, reports the Stockholm correspondent of the “Daily Express.” From a maze of reports and rumours coming from inside Germany after the conference of Nazi Party and. war leaders at Hitler’s headquarters tins picture emerges of the way events are shaping. . L ~ ■ There are three main contending groups: First, Herr Hitler himself-— now (become 'a lonely, incalculable figure from whom much military and political power has been taken. Appearances increasingly indicate that Hitler will be kept in power only as long as it suits the convenience of the other two groups, who was conspiring against him and also against one another, but the revolt may not come to a head for months. . . Secondly, there are the Left-ing Nazis led by Herr Himmler and Dr. Goebbels, both of whom are seeking increased power, and also the Bavarian, Herr Bormann, who is one of the few 'Nazi chiets still having regular access to Hitler. Bormann’s personal power on all homefront matters 'has grown so much that his rivals talk sarcastically of a Bormann dictatorship. / The “Old School.” Thirdly, there is the “old school,” a group comprising several mutually-hos-tile parties who are united temporarily by disdain for Hitler and jealousy against Goebbels and Himmler, and . wish to find an easy way to extricate tae Reich from its troubles. This group, includes high German officers headed by Generals von Halder and von Manstem and Field-Marshal Goering —who is probably playing a subtle part as a general negotiator, too —and also the ‘big industrialists headed by Dr. Schacht, who has renounced his party membership and. broken off contact with the Government. Among these three big groups a great behind-the-scenes struggle is being waged similar to that which led to Mussolini s fall. It is because of this struggle that there is so much confusion in. the Ger-, man propaganda and war policy. All groups must probably keep Hitler in power for the time being for the sake of morale, but there is no doubt that if it becomes clear that the war is going fatally for the Reich one or more of these groups will try the experiment of staging a show-window rebellion in Germany.

While all this intrigue goes on the reports agree that a wave of bewilderment and despondency is sweeping through the ordinary German homes, the correspondent concludes. . '

According to a report from diplomatic quarters in Madrid, a triumvirate composed of General yon Keitel, Admiral Doenitz and Goering is now the real ruler of the Reich.