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

410 DER FUEHRERprisonment, the first doubts had come to him. He had visited Hitler inMunich; with enthusiasm Der Fuhrer had dragged him around the newparty palace and subjected him to one of his art speeches; whenScheringer wanted to speak of politics, Hitler had replied that the younglieutenant should believe and obey. Back in Berlin, Scheringer hadcomplained to Goebbels of his experience with Hitler; he had asked theBerlin gauleiter whether the party still seriously intended to break downinterest slavery? Goebbels replied: a breakdown only could occur to himwho had to read 'Feder's nonsense,' and when Scheringer argued that allthis stood in the unalterable twenty-five-point program, Goebbels criedin despair: 'I wish to God we had never heard of those miserable twentyfivepoints.'That was the party's way with its most sacred principles! Even if thelieutenants were no more loyal to principle, many of them must havefelt the same as the young officers of 1923, who had declared: 'It's allthe same to us who marches; we'll march along!' (Meaning: and if Hitlerdoesn't, we march with somebody else.) But what if they had principlesand believed in National Socialism ? In both cases, the practical resultwas perhaps the same. Scheringer sat in his prison cell and thoughtthings over; the result of his thinking was that in March, 1931, HansKippenberger, a Communist deputy, stood up in the Reichstag and reada letter from Scheringer. In it the imprisoned lieutenant renouncedHitler and declared himself a Communist: 'Only by smashing capitalismin alliance with the Soviet Union can we be freed,' he wrote. Goebbelswired Scheringer asking if he had really made such a declaration.Scheringer wired back: 'Hitler betrayed revolution declaration authenticreprint Scheringer.'A German lieutenant, nationalist, and warrior for freedom saw thesole remaining salvation in Communism; high S.A. leaders were stirringup rebellion against Hitler — was that the picture among the NationalSocialist masses? Groener went around preaching to his fellowministers that the hour demands we support Hitler against the otherNational Socialist leaders; he is a prudent man who will obey the lawsbecause he has every reason for doing so. Rohm had convincedSchleicher that Hitler desired nothing but