Show Hitler Possesses Force of Formed d L Like e Army y j German Fascist Leader Would Arm Men if it He Attains I Power Editors Editor's note Herewith is the second in a series of articles by Webb Miller European general news m nager of the United Press PreS who is making a a study of conditions condi condl in Germany with a view to the possibly vital future effect of Germanys Germany's economic and political stability on the remainder r of the world In this In-this this article Miller reveals reveals reveals re re- re- re the great strength of the fascist army backing Adolph Hitter Hitler fascist leader S By WEBB MILLER Copyright 1931 by United Press PreS MUNICH Germany De Dec tore 22 22 22 More ore than picked men organized on a military basis modeled after the theold old German imperial army form the backbone of the German fascist movement movement movement move move- ment sworn to obey only Adolph Ad lph Hitler This force the weapon with which Hitler intends to rule Germany i if IL his Ws party par Is voted into power power is one ne of the most significant phases of the fascist r nazi movement Despite the potential strength of his unarmed forces Hitler Hiller has declared he will not attempt to use it to seize power by revolution With arms Hitler's forces would be double the number of men permitted permitted per per- the German army by the treaty of Versailles Although he is a man without a country countr having been denationalized denationalized de do- nationalized by Austria and refused naturalization by Germany as sUpreme supreme supreme su preme commander of the storm division divi sion sIan of the nazis he has absolute control control control con con- of f one of the most powerful po organizations or or- in Germany MEMBERS RELUCTANT Nazi members were reluctant tant to supply information about this militar formed ily-formed body which has has' many points of similarity with Mussolini's shirt black fascist militia A candid member of the thep party admitted to me mc that if it Hitler come to power undoubtedly un undoubtedly un un- one of his first actions would be to arm the organization and constitute a sort of police pollee force and party guard similar to Mussolini's militia The organization is divided into two divisions the sturn or storm detachment and arid the schutz picked staffe picked mobile detachments for or special duties The former former- arc are uniformed in brown military pan pants brown shirts and Sam Browne belts high crowned hats and an arm band with the swastika cross emblem of the party The latter are arc similarly dressed except they the wear black instead Instead in In- stead of brown and their bells bells' are black I S The similarity with the old imperial army exists right richt down the tho line For instance the nazi flag is red with a large black swastika cross on a white plaque which are the old imperial colors General orders to the brown bron army as many newspapers call it it are always couched in the military style of the old army The imperial colors were black white and red the republic colors now arc are black white and gold LIKE IMPERIAL ARMY Distinctive marks on the uniform collars indicating divisions are arc the same as those of the imperial army Hitler recently arranged that nazi headquarters shall be established in every town where there is a headquarters head quarters of the present army which coincide with the old imperial army headquarters The nazis recently moved several of their headquarters to perfect the arrangement Some observers contend the nazis are arc concealing the actual numbers of and estimate its strength atas at atas atas as high as Members of the army are arc classified according to their military For instance if it a man was a machine gunner during the war It is duly noted for possible future refer refer- ence once Originally only former soldiers were accepted Now men with suitable suit able qualifications of physical condition condi tion and loyalty who have been mem mem- bers of the party for one year ear are accepted in the first category The second picked category or schutz schutz- stolid is more difficult to enter and requires one years year's service in the first category plus special qualifications Th The d stettin division whose emblem is is the k skull H- H Ha a- a and ai i crossbones accepts iS only men six feet teet tall who would physically have qualified for tor the prewar prewar pre pro war Prussian guard TRAINING OF ARMY The training of the he army Is accomplished pushed by route marching physical exercises and boxing Before Chan Heinrich Bruening's s 's recent decree de do- cr cree e prohibiting uniforms at political meetings for the present the organizations organization's organize tion's duties largely consisted of elec tours ours and guarding naz nazi nad meetings against attempts of fonts to break them up The nazis claim that the reason renson for forthe forthe forthe the organization originally was the necessity of guarding against communist communist com corn raids on their meetings It is worth noting that Hitler in 1923 1023 the the year jear of ot his unsuccessful beer cellar putsch putsch had had planned to convert convert con con- vert the organization into a military force to resist the French in the Ruhr That its members eventually expect to become armed police is indicated by taunts aimed at regular police pollee during dur duro ing demonstrations such as We wll will have your Jobs soon we will be doing the policing Among the ramifications of the organization organization organization or or- is a motor division of pledged to furnish cars in case of necessity Only about two months ago at Brunswick a demonstration of Hit Hit- revealed to the world something some thing of the strength of the tIon wh when n of at Hitler's brown army from all parts of at Germany were reviewed wed along a mile front ORDER SEIZED A secret nazi order of the day was seized when police at near the Polish German-Polish frontier raided raid raid- ed cd the local storm division and arrested arrested ar ar- ar rested 26 men An extract from the order follows The struggle for power has entered another stage Conditions compel a decision The call to muster for the charge will soon be sounded for the thelast thelast last ast time This winter the storm divisions divi- divi will be put through the training necessary to render them capable of accomplishing the coming tasks Similar orders by nazi leaders were discovered recently at Baden Hesse and Anhalt The arrested nazis willbe will wll be pe tried on conspiracy charges and infraction of the decree against wearIng wearing wear wear- Ing ine uniforms |