FEELING THE PULSE

Evening Star, Issue 23831, 11 March 1941, Page 2

FEELING THE PULSE

HOW NAZI SYSTEM WORKS Reichsfuhrer Hitler relics upon a “ private poll ” to test public sentiment among the people and to convey special information to the public which it is felt should not receive the general publicity of the officially-controlled Press (writes the Berlin correspondent of the ‘ Christian Science Monitor’). This ‘‘ private poll ” is the Nazi Party organisation—worked out to the last detail with authoritarian “efficiency.” For instance, the full public explanation of the Russo-Ger-man pact in August, 1939, was passed down through the chain of party leadership to the final row of block leaders. It was their job to explain it to party members and non-party members living in their blocks.

Here is how the system works: For party purposes Germany is divided into 40 Gaus or districts. Each Gau is divided in “circles,” each of which in turn is divided into towns. The towns, of course, are the towns or cities within the “circle.” The towns are divided into “ cells,” and these are subdivided' into blocks. The blocks are simply city blocks. FED OUT IN RATIONED DOSES. Over each Gau, circle, town, cell, and block is a leader responsible for reporting or “ informing ” the territory under his jurisdiction. To “inform” the public in a quiet way on any particular subject the district leaders are called to Berlin, all 40 of them. They fly to save time. There they hear talks by party leaders, historians, and military men. They are given a complete fill-in of what the German leadership wants them to take back to their subordinates.

They fly back to their districts anti call meetings of circle leaders, who in turn get the official explanation. Thus it is passed on down to the block leaders through a series of conferences. To the block leaders falls tho job of doling out tho information to the German public. Often enough the explanations never reach the papers. The public knows tho Fuhrers reasons for an action taken —or in some instances to bo taken, without its ever having been made a “ public ” matter. The process explains some of the countless “rumours” forever coming to tho ears of foreigners. In turn, the system permits the Fuhrer to sample the public morale at any time, and. more particularly, to learn how it will accept some proposed decree.' It has been tried repeatedly in the cases of tax matters. In this connection, it is interesting to note that tho Fuhrer lodges in tho hands of another man a limited amount of “ veto ” power over decrees. That is Rudolf Hess, head of the party and stand-in for the Fuhrer .in party matters. FEELING OUT PUBLIC SENTIMENT. Suppose a new tax is proposed, of doubtful popularity’. The district leadei’s may bo called to Berlin to get an earful of it, or they may simply get a letter explaining what it is. Then they are asked to report how the public will accept it. Down through the channel it goes until the block leader starts patiently knocking at door after door to greet the residents with “ Heil Hitler ” and to make the explanation or discuss the matter of taxes generally with ilia

householders to get their sentiment. When he gets it, he passes it up to his cell chief, who in turn sets it along the channel to Herr Hess. If the reports indicate to Herr Hess that there will be , a heap of protests and discontent, and if the bill is not important, he is empowered to “veto ” the decree. If there were any real unrest, Herr Hitler relies on this “ private poll” to uncover it. Probably the most important possible defects in tlie system are that block leaders, or the various other ranks of leaders, might report a joyous spirit in order to demonstrate how well they were keeping their “ flocks ” in tow, even though no such happy sentiment existed; or that many people, even bitterly resentful, could hide their feelings for fear any criticising ■ sentiment might bring punishment upon their heads.