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

540 DER FUEHRERgovernment, such as Hindenburg had demanded in August and evenmore in November.Rohm stood at a window in the Kaiserhof and looked across at theChancellery through binoculars; for when Hitler came out, his facewould show how things had gone. Suddenly Hitler was in the room. 'Hesays nothing, and all of us say nothing. But his eyes are full of tears.' Itwas a day full of ceremonies and pageantry; at noon, Hindenburgadministered the oath of office; at night twenty-five thousand S.A. menmarched past the Chancellery with torches, and the National Socialistsof Berlin marched with them.Hindenburg stood at the window, beating time with his crooked stickto the old military marches that resounded from below. A few yardsaway, Hitler stood at an open window, laughing, dancing, gesticulatingwith childish joy, now and then bowing to someone.Hugenberg and Papen could not have organized any such torchlightparade in six hours. Here for the first time in many months the 'rulingpowers' again saw a part of the 'people' before them, and perhaps theythought that 'public opinion' was marching down there in the glow ofthe torches. The torch-bearers in turn believed that their Leader had nowbecome a ruling power and they with him; the Leader himself knewbetter. 'We shall still have to carry on a very intensive struggle,' writesGoebbels on February 1. 'The situation in the country is not yet clearenough for us to speak of an absolute consolidation of our position.' Wehave been called because we are the people — are we ? The will of thepeople is still expressed in ballots and in parliament; the task set us byHindenburg is still to relieve the tension between the executive andparliament; to win over the block of votes we need for a majority.Practically speaking, this meant an understanding with the Center,which, in secret, was exceedingly willing for an understanding.For a moment Hitler was probably serious about this understanding.The Center was even to be offered a cabinet post; one ministry had beenleft free for the purpose, and, strangely enough, it was Franz Gurtner,Hitler's old protector, whose portfolio was intended for a man of theCenter. Public and private assurances were meanwhile given that theNational Socialists would commit no act of violence, no breach of theconstitution; to the question