Hitler's Table Talk

306 THE PRICE OF LOYALTY OF THE CHURCHES
one's shoulder—the more so as the case might contain a satisfactory
supply of cigars.
One must clearly see into all that, in order to appreciate
properly the significance of the exclamation made by the Roosevelt
woman, speaking of ourselves: "It's a world in which we
could not conceivably live!"
Just like the throne and the altar in former times, so now the
Jews and the political profiteers form a silent association for the
common exploitation of the democratic milch cow.
If, instead of giving five hundred millions to the Church, we
made grants to some archbishops, allowing them full freedom
to share out as they chose the sums put at their disposal, it's
certain that the number of their collaborators would be
reduced to the minimum. They'd try to keep the greater part
of the money for themselves, and they'd burst themselves in the
attempt to be useful to us. With a tenth part of our budget for
religion, we would thus have a Church devoted to the State
and of unshakeable loyalty. We must have done with these
out-of-date forms. The little sects, which receive only a few
hundred thousand marks, are devoted to us body and soul.
Let's abolish the control on money given to the Churches, in
accordance with that strictly Christian principle: "Let not thy
left hand know what thy right hand doeth." This mania for
controls should be regarded as an offence against these just men.
Let them fill their own pockets, and give us a bit of peace!
Those rainy days at Berchtesgaden, what a blessing they
were ! No violent exercise, no excursions, no sun-baths—a little
repose ! There's nothing lovelier in the world than a mountain
landscape. There was a time when I could have wept for grief
on having to leave Berchtesgaden.
As far as possible, one must avoid ruining landscapes with
networks of high-tension wires, telpher railways and machines
of that sort. I'm in favour of roads, when needs must—but
what's uglier than a funicular?
On New Year's Day I was obliged to go down to Berchtesgaden
to telephone, because at Obersalzberg the telephone