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

CHANCELLOR AT LAST 515threatened that 'despair and hopelessness will drive the peasants tomeasures of self-help which run counter to the needs of people andstate.' This incendiary cry did not come from big landowners, but fromsmall peasants, and similar voices, proclaiming 'the sharpest struggleagainst the Reich government,' were heard from the dairy farmers inWest and North Germany.For a moment it looked as if Schleicher would be overthrown as aresult of the butter controversy, magnified and exploited by the NationalSocialists. With the support of considerable numbers of middle andsmall peasants, they had won a share in the leadership of theReichslandbund, the leading German farm organization. Two of the fourleading officers were National Socialists, Vice-President WernerWillikens and Director von Sybel. Under their pressure, theReichslandhund decided to present Hindenburg publicly with a demandfor Schleicher's dismissal; against the will of the president, CountEberhard Kalckreuth, a memorandum was drawn up, stating that themisery of agriculture, especially in the field of peasant processing(butter, cheese), had, 'with the toleration of the present government,'assumed dimensions 'which would not have been thought possible evenunder a purely Marxist regime,' and that 'agriculture was beingplundered for the benefit of the almighty moneybag interests of theinternational-minded export industry and its henchmen.' Thememorandum demanded a foreign trade war and measures to relieveagriculture of its interest and debt payments. Foreclosures of bankruptfarms must be stopped — this demand was raised especially by the largeEast Prussian landowners. There already was an 'anti-foreclosure law,'but the landowners wanted it strengthened and extended.With this paper in hand, the four leaders of the Landbund, Sybel andWillikens in the lead, called on Hindenburg on January 11. Hindenburgwas always accessible to complaints on the part of agriculture. He sentfor Schleicher and instructed him to give the agricultural problemfurther study. Schleicher was prepared to look into the matter.Hindenburg left the room, Sybel gave Schleicher the paper with itsviolent attacks. Schleicher, who as a soldier did not take strong wordsvery seriously, said comfortably: 'But, children, you can't say suchthings'; then he promised relief, better