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

524 DER FUEHRERwas in financial difficulties and wanted to save himself by reaching anunderstanding with Schleicher and entering his government. This wouldhave strengthened Schleicher immeasurably. Hugen-berg wished tobecome Minister of Economics and Agriculture; he had a plan, the mainelements of which were the cessation of payments on Germany's privatedebts, reduction of interest on agricultural debts, drastic reduction offood imports, increased farm prices. On January 13, he was received bySchleicher, on the fourteenth, by Hindenburg himself. He informed bothmen that he was determined to enter the cabinet, but that he must beguaranteed a period of years to carry out his plans; Schleicher mustpersuade the Reichstag to adjourn for at least six months; otherwise hemust dissolve it, preferably without setting immediate elections.On January 15, Schleicher received a visitor from Austria, Kurt vonSchuschnigg, then Minister of Justice. As Schuschnigg later related,Schleicher was 'amazingly optimistic about the German situation.' Hitlerwas finished, said Schleicher to his guest. 'I remember the exact wordshe used in this connection,' wrote Schuschnigg. 'He said he was engagedin building up a cross-connection through the trade-union movementsand hoped in this way to find a new and practicable political platformwhich would provide a peaceful and healthy development; Hitler was nolonger a problem, the question was solved, his movement presented nopolitical danger, it was yesterday's concern. He added — I cannot vouchfor the exact wording, but this is the sense — that an attempt at apossible collaboration (with Hitler) had come under discussion, but thatthe National Socialists had demanded the Reichswehr Ministry,apparently aware that he could not let them have it.' Schuschnigg wassurprised; he had not thought political conditions in Germany so stable.But in the afternoon he spoke with Doctor Schrei-ber, a prelate andleader of the Center Party. 'Here, too, I found surprising economic andpolitical optimism, which made the strongest impression on me.'But on the same January 15, the elections were held in Lippe, theforest was cut down, the bird's nest seized. Indeed, the NationalSocialists failed to reach their high-water mark of July, 1932, but theyhad apparently recovered from the November low, with a rise