Major Study of Hitler's Rise to Dictatorship
in William S. Allen's 'Nazi Seizure of Power'
For an understanding of Hitler's
rise to power and the emergence
of the Nazi party as the dominant
force in Germany, it is necessary
to read "The Nazi Seizure of
Power — The Experience of a
Single German Town, 1930-1935,"
by William Sheridan Allen, pub-
lished by Quadrangle Press (180
N. Wacker Dr., Chicago).
Quoting from Descartes' "Dis-
course on Method": "Divide each
problem into as many parts as
possible; that each part being
more easily conceived, the whole
may be more intelligible," the
author, who studied in German
universities and now is assistant
professor of history at the Uni-
versity of Missouri, focuses his
study on experiences in one city
which he calls "Thalburg, a town
in the former Kingdom of Hann-
over."
Describing democracy's death
Referring to the boycott of the
Jews in Germany, April 1-4, 1933,
in a chapter which he introduces
by quoting Psalm 133: "Behold
how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in
unity," Dr. Allen shows how "the
essential effect of the boycott of
the Jews was to atomize them so-
cially: to cut them off from the
rest of German society so that
normal human ties could not work
to restrain the dictatorship."
Case histories are given of
Jews who suffered under Nazism,
who were ostracized, whose life-
long friendships with non-Jews
were broken through Nazi pres-
sures.
Reviewing the historic events,
the author explains that as against
the 120 Jews who lived in Thal-
burg in 1930 there were 102 a
generation ago: "Most Jews in
Thalburg were small business-
men: cattle brokers, grocery or
clothing store owners, and arti-
sans. One Jewish merchant cele-
brated, in 1932, the 230th anniver-
sary of the founding of his haber-
dashery . . . There was no Jewish
section in Thalburg; Jews were
well assimilated into Thalburg so-
ciety. The town had very little
anti-Semitism before the advent
of Nazism. 'What there was ex-
pressed itself only in jokes and
slight feelings of generalized dis-
taste—in other words, the usual
heritage of medieval Europe. Jews
belonged to the shooting societies,
patriotic clubs, and choral groups,
and if they were differentiated it
was by class, not religion. Some
were elected to offices in their
clubs, some were very highly re-
spected, all were accepted as a nor-
mal part of the town's life."
Then came the Nazi propaganda,
the pressures that resulted in the
banning of Jews, in their being
ousted from offices, in neighbors
refraining from speaking with old
friends. There was the boycott
against all Jewish businesses, the
posting of Nazis at Jewish stores
to prevent residents from purchas-
ing merchandise from Jews. There
were the published calls: "Ger-
many will force Judah to his
knees!" Soon "the new state of
affairs became a fact of life" and
was accepted: "Thalburg's Jews
were simply excluded from the
community at large. At the same
time the Nazis undertook their
most Herculean task; the atomi-
zation of the community at large."
Rep. Kelly Says Omission of 'Jews'
From Resolutions on the USSR Came
After Jewish Pressure on Hearings
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Chair-
man Edna F. Kelly of the House
Foreign Affairs subcommittee on
Europe explained she favored eli-
mination of specific reference to
Jews in the resolving clause of a
resolution originally conceived as
a condemnation of Soviet anti-
Jewish practices. She said other
faiths were also victimized.
Rep. Kelly, New York Democrat,
stated that proponents of the reso-
* *
lution, various Jewish leaders, had
asked her to summon non-Jewish
witnesses on Communist religious
policies when her subcommittee
held hearings. She said she held
the hearings because of Jewish
requests.
Had there been no such request,
she stressed, the House version of
the resolution would have been
drafted to conform with the Senate
wording, along the lines of the
original Ribicoff resolution.
But, once non-Jewish wit-
nesses publicly detailed the
plight of Catholics and others in
Jew Named as Head
of Alleged Narcotics
Ring in Siberian City
Communist countries at the
House hearings, it would be un-
The Nazis succeeded in effect-
ing a total reorganization of the
community and no independent
groups could exist: the steps led
to total Nazi control. The Allen
book deals with events until
1935. What had happened there-
after is well known. But the
steps of Nazi acquisition of Ger-
LONDON (JTA) — A 60-year-
old Soviet Jew was singled out as
the leader of an alleged narcotics
ring peddling drugs in the Siber-
ian city of Omsk, according to a
report from Moscow, citing an
in this community, explaining
article in the daily newspaper
how dictatorship was introduced
Sovetskaya Rossiya of Moscow.
and how the Nazis gained power
The newspaper reported that
in step-by-step political actions,
many's control were gradual. the leader of the ring, selling
Prof. Allen indicates the ruth-
The author writes with charity marijuana, was a 60-year-old bar-
lessness that accompanied the
towards the Thalburgers: "Hard- ber named Moisei Shneiderovich.
political struggle, the manner in
ly any one in Thalburg in those Arrested with him were his wife
which Nazi strength grew from
days grasped what was happen- and his son, Lev.
123 votes in 1928 to 1,'742 in
ing. There was no real compre-
Another member of the pre-
1930 with a gain of 65 per cent
hension of what the town would sumed ring was identified in the
of the town's vote in 1932—and
experience if Hitler came to
report as a member of Jehovah's
the complete control of the town
power, no real understanding of
Witnesses, a minority group sub-
by the Nazi the following year.
what Nazism was."
jected to Soviet persecutions sim-
There were Thalburg residents
There were individuals who ilar to those oppressing Jewish
who resented the rise of anti-
labored against the rising tide and religion and culture.
Semitism in a town in which the
risked their lives and their com-
Jews numbered 120 men, women
munity status. Yet, as Dr. Allen Wisconsin Paper Moved
and children out of a total popu-
writes about the year in which the
MILWAUKEE (JTA) — The
lation of 10,000, but the routine
Nazis gained control of this sample Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, pub-
Nazi policies reached the point of
town:
lished for the last 13 years from
total ostracism, of expulsion of
Jews from various organizations
"The Social Democrats failed to offices and a plant at 120 E. De-
in which they had been active all
comprehend the nature of the Nazi troit St. has moved to new quar-
their lives.
appeal. So did the Jews and Luth- ters at 340 N. Milwaukee. The old
erans, both of whom were to suf- headquarters is in a building that
fer bitterly under the Nazi whip is scheduled for razing to make
. . . Each group saw one or the room for city development plans.
other side of Nazism, but none The new location is the third in
saw it in its full hideousness. Only the Chronicle's history.
later did this become apparent,
Opinions founded on prejudice
and even then not to everyone.
are always sustained with the
The
problem
of
Nazism
was
pri-
COMPOSITE PLAYBILL
marily a problem of perception. greatest violence. —Jeffrey
In this respect Thalburg's diffi-
Amazing New POSTALIA
The following listing of this season's productions is incomplete, yet it culties and Thalburg's fate are
conveys a good idea of both the scope of Israel's theatre and the taste .likely to be shared by other men
LOWEST COST
in other towns under similar cir-
of its public.
Postage Meters
cumstances. The remedy will not
easily be found."
A. Of Native Origin
per
As an anlysis of one city's ex-
Month
periences as a mirror of the entire
German situation, Dr. Allen's "The
"The King and the Cobbler"
Mail 10 pcs. a day or 10,000.
(King Solomon and his double—"Best original play of the year") Nazi Seizure of Power" is one of
Rate remains same. No extras!
the most vital studies of a people's
"The Cave of Joshua"
yielding to dictatorship to tyr-
SAVE $ $ $ $
(The adventures of an archaeological expedition)
anny. It must rank among the
STANDARD
NEW
"Tales for Adults"
$ 1175
major studies made of the rise of
TYPEWRITERS
(of circus, clowns, and a missing audience)
Nazism.
ELECTRIC ADDING
8
just and improper to confine the
resolution merely to Jewish
problems, she said.
Rep. Kelly said she did not
share the Jewish view that the
problem of Jews in Eastern Euro-
pean nations differed from the
Jewish situation in the Soviet
Union. Therefore, she felt the res-
olution was strengthened by broad-
ening it to include "the govern-
ments of other Eastern European
countries."
Asked about the original aim of
the proposed measure to meet the
specific and different problems of
the Jews in Russia, as distinct
from the difficulties of other min-
orities, Rep. Kelly said she thought
the revised and broadended word-
ing "better serves the purpose and
responds to the plight of all the
oppressed religions."
Differences between the Senate
and House versions of the resolu-
tion will be resolved at a Senate-
House conference in which Rep.
Kelly will participate, it was
learned.
NO
2 OF US TO
SERVE YOU!
$ 50
"Five: Five:"
(the Soldier and the Girl from the Moshav)
"Difficult Childhood"
(Satirical Vignettes in Music)
B.
Regards from Broadway
-After the Fall"
"A Taste of Honey"
"Barefoot in the Park"
"Blues for Mr.. Charlie"
"Brecht on Brecht"
"How to Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying"
"My Fair Lady"
"Who's Afraid of Virginia wive
C. The Spell of the Classics
Sophocles: "Antigone"
Euripides: "Electra"
D.
Czechoslovakia:
England:
France:
Germany:
Poland:
Sweden:
E.
Shakespeare: "Comedy of Errors"
Moliere: "Don Juan"
Cosmopolitan Sampler
Karl Capek:
Harold Pinter:
Sartre;
Kleist:
Tadeusz Ruzemic:
Strindberg:
"The Mother"
"The Lover"
"No Exit"
"The Broken Pitcher"
"The Card Index"
"Miss Julie"
That Jewish World of Yesteryear • • •
"Ameba" — The Sholem
Aleichem Classic
"The World of Peretz"
"Sunset" by Isaac Babel
(on Jewish life in Odessa)
ALL IN HEBREW, Of Course!
A Tarbuth Foundation Feature
MACHINES
$124
PAUL NEWMAN
WE'RE THE DODGE BOYS
THAT SAVE YOU CASH!
PAUL NEWMAN'S
Jerusalem was destroyed be-
cause the instruction of the young
was neglected. —the Talmud
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
14—Friday, July 23, 1965
HANK
NEWMA
SPARTAN Dodge
CALL DI 2 - 7800
16895 Schaefer Nr. W. 6 Mile
1965
CITY TAXES
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CHAS. N. WILLIAMS
CITY TREASURER