Hitler's Table Talk

286 CALLS ON BAVARIAN MINISTERS
firm intention to go on living for another twenty-five years."
At Pasing we met the first messengers on motor-cycles. I found
them gathered at my door, in the Thierschstrasse, in Munich,
men like Fuess, Gahr and the other old faithfuls. My apartment
was decorated with flowers and laurel wreaths (I've
kept one of them). In his exuberant joy, my dog almost
knocked me down the stairs.
The first visit I paid was to Pöhner. He could almost have
kissed me—he who had in front of him what I had behind me.
He had a conversation with Cramer Cletl, asking him to inform
Held that I maintained my demand that all my men
should also be set at liberty. Held granted me an appointment,
and I must acknowledge that his attitude was entirely
correct. Thus, later on, I refrained from making any trouble
for him, unlike what I did for Schweyer. Held asked me
whether, if I started the Party up again, I contemplated
associating myself with Ludendorff. I told him that such was
not my intention. Held then told me that, because of the
attitude taken up by Ludendorff towards the Church, he found
himself obliged to oppose him. I assured him that the Party
programme did not entail a struggle with the Church, and
that LudendorfF's affairs were no concern of mine. Held undertook
to get in touch with the Minister of Justice and to inform
me of the decisions that would be taken concerning my men.
The news reached Pöhner that Gürtner, the Minister of
Justice, refused to be persuaded that my demand was justified.
I again visited Held, who advised me to go and see Gürtner.
There, I fell in with a lawyer ! He opposed me with a lawyer's
arguments. My men, he claimed, had not been imprisoned so
long as I had. In any case, he couldn't set them free before the
vacation. Besides, he hadn't the files. I had no difficulty in
replying to him that the files were not necessary, that I knew
all the names! During my enumeration, he reacted violently
at the name of Hess: "Not him, in any case! He exposed
Ministers to the risk of being stoned by the crowd!" "What
can we do about that? Is it our fault if you are so unpopular?
Besides, nothing happened to you!"
My point of view was as follows : it was not possible for my
men to remain in prison whilst I, who was responsible for