Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

FEW FLAMES BURN IN GERMANY 293of Hitler. A bitter feud ensued between Stretcher and Esser, formerlyclose pals. Hitler, extremely embarrassed by Esser's revelations, tookStreicher's side and forbade Esser to call him Du in the future. But tosilence the dangerous fellow he had to make him editor of the party'snew illustrated paper, which had just been founded by Max Amann andHeinrich Hoffmann, the photographer. These two businesslike dwarfsbet their shirts on the future of the movement, for it was clear that only alarge following could make the paper profitable. Hitler for a long timemade his living from this magazine, which first appeared monthly, thenbi-weekly, finally weekly; to every issue he contributed an editorialwhich, in this by no means amusing sheet, was certainly the dullest spot.Goebbels, too, obtained his thirty pieces of silver for his betrayal ofStrasser. In 1926, Hitler appointed him gauleiter for Berlin, 'responsibleto me alone.' It was no sinecure. A certain Kurt Daluege had been S.A.leader in Berlin up to this time and had maintained his authority byhaving recalcitrant storm troopers beaten up at night by a so-called'rolling commando.' In his indignation Strasser had thrown a few of thethugs out of the party, but the party members did not obey and took theexpelled men back in defiance of Strasser. Strasser declared that theleader of the expelled men, a certain Heinz alias Hauenstein, was apolice spy — the National Socialists knew what to expect of oneanother. Despite everything, Hauenstein remained in the party. Hitler indespair disbanded the whole Berlin organization, suspended Daluegeindefinitely, and told Goebbels to start out from scratch in God's name.At the same time Erich Koch accused Gauleiter Karl Kaufmann inEssen of embezzling party funds; an examining commission confirmedthe accusation and furthermore found Kaufmann guilty of committingadultery with the wife of a party comrade; of untruthfully boasting thathe had fought at the front in the war; of having worn medals that hadnever been conferred on him; of 'twice breaking his word of honor.How could it have been otherwise? These were the most depravedelements remaining of the old murderers' army. They called themselvesfighters for truth and enlightenment; actually they even