Argentina, Axis on the Spot

Chief Justice Hitler

There were many subjects that Adolf Hitler skipped in this week's speech to the Reichstag. He did not skip the cold Russian winter, and underlined the fact that the thermometer had dropped to 62DEG F below. He got in the "archcapitalist" British, the "scoundrel" Jews, the "criminal" Churchill, the "maniac" Roosevelt, the "heroic" Japanese, and the Almighty, of whom he asked "nothing more . . . than that He should bless us in the future as He has done in the past."

But he said nothing about the Chinese. He told the Reichstag nothing about U.S. war production. He had absolutely nothing to offer as to when he would win the war. Instead, he lamely declared: "Next winter, wherever we may be, the Army in the East will be better armed and equipped."

Adolf Hitler seemed worried. Finally he came out with it--a little way out. Said he: "In all these historic successes I have had to intervene personally in only a few instances. Only in those cases where nerves snapped, discipline broke down or a sense of duty was lacking did I have to make hard decisions. . . .

"But I expect one thing, that the nation will give me the right to intervene and to take necessary action wherever the existence of our nation demands it. . . .

"I therefore ask the German Reichstag for an explicit endorsement of my legal right to demand of everyone the discharge of his duties or to cashier anyone from his post or office if I consider that he has failed in his duty. . . .

"Judges who do not recognize the commands of the hour will be removed from office. In this time there are no self-satisfied people with well-deserved privileges. We are all obedient servants to the common interests of the nation. .

When Hitler was through, Hermann Goering asked the Reichstag for a rising vote of assent. He did not give dissenters any chance to vote. The endorsement was "unanimous."

It was plain enough that Adolf Hitler's judiciary was bothering him. But the world outside wondered what was going on beneath the judges' benches to make Adolf Hitler publicly ask for the confirmation of powers he had long since wielded.

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