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school books, advertising, and cultural relations of whatever sort that went on between Germany

and the outside world, including those organizations and publications which were carrying on

Nazi propaganda in several score of nations. This ugly, dark, and pitiful deformity had a budget

of a hundred million dollars a year to sing the praises of the beautiful, blond, and perfect Aryan.

In private life he was genial and witty, resourceful and quick in argument, and completely

cynical about his job; you could chaff him about what he was doing, and he would even chaff

himself. All the world's a stage and all the men and women on it merely players; how did you like

my performance tonight? Like all truly great actors, Herr Reichsminister Doktor Goebbels

worked terrifically hard, driven by an iron determination to get to the top of his pro fession and

stay there in spite of all his rivals. At the beginning of his career he had been a violent

opponent of the N.S.D.A.P., but the party had offered him a higher salary and he had at once

become a convert. Now, besides being Minister of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda, he

was the party's Gauleiter of Berlin and director of Der Angriff, the powerful Nazi newspaper

of the city.

He was pleased to find two rich and influential Americans in his home. One of his duties was to

receive such persons and explain National Socialism to them! He was quick in reading their

characters and in suiting what he told them to their positions and preju dices. For the third

time that evening Lanny told his story, and the Reichsminister Doktor listened attentively.

When he had heard to the end he turned to his wife. "Na, Magda, there you have it!" he said.

"That pothouse brawler, that Saalschlacht hero, Ley! Such a Grobian to represent us to the

outside world and involve us in his gangsterism!"

"Vorsicht, Jockl!" warned Magda.

But masterful Nazis are above heeding the warnings of their wives. Goebbels persisted: "A

drunken rowdy, who wishes to control all German labor but cannot control himself! Have you

seen that great organizer of ours, Mr. Budd?"

"Not that I know of, Herr Reichsminister."

"A pot-bellied, roaring braggart who cannot live without his flagon at his side. He likes to tell

jokes, and he explodes with laughter and a fine spray flies over the surrounding company. You

know that he is building the new Labor Front, and it must be done with melodrama—he

personally must raid the union headquarters here in Berlin. Revolvers and hand grenades are

not enough, he has to have machine guns mounted in front of the doors—for the arresting of

cowardly fat labor parasites who find it difficult to rise out of their swivel-chairs without

assistance! That is the way it goes in our land of Zucht und Ordnung— we are going to turn

Berlin into another Chicago, and have bandits and kidnapers operating freely in our streets! I

hope I do not offend you by the comparison, Mr. Budd."

"Not at all," laughed Lanny. "The home of my forefathers is a thousand miles from Chicago—

and we, too, have sometimes observed the imperfections of human nature manifesting

themselves in our perfect political system."

"Na!" said the Reichsminister Doktor. Then, becoming serious: "I leave the administration of

justice to the proper authorities; but where the matter concerns a person with international

reputation, I surely have a right to be consulted. I promise you that I will look into the matter

the first thing in the morning and will report to you what I find."

"Thank you very much," said Lanny. "That is all I could ask."

The little great man appeared to notice the look of worry on his wife's gentle features; he

added: "You understand, I do not know what crime your Jewish friend may be accused of, nor

do I know that the overzealous Dr. Ley really has anything to do with it. Let us hold our minds

open until we know exactly what has happened."

"What you have said will go no further, I assure you," declared Lanny, promptly. "I am not

here to make gossip but to stop it."

XI

The Reichsminister of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda relaxed in his chair and sipped

the wine which his wife poured out for him and for the guests. uNa!" he exclaimed. "Tell me

what you think of our Führer's speech."

Lanny started to repeat what he had said to the forester's son, and the bel canto duet was

sung over again. Juppchen proved an even more romantic tenor than Heinrich; there was no

language too ardent for him to employ in praise of Hitler. Lanny realized the situation; a

deputy was free to criticize his fellow deputies, the Leys and the Strassers, the Hesses and the

Rohms, but the Great One was perfection, and on him the butter of flattery was laid thickly.

Heinrich had informed Lanny that the Goebbels home had become Adi's favorite haunt when

he was in Berlin; here Magda caused to be prepared for him the vegetable plates which he

enjoyed, and afterward he relaxed, listened to music, and played with her two children. Lanny

didn't have to be told that the wily intriguer would use the occasion to fill his Chief's mind

with his own views of the various personalities with whom their lives were involved. So it is

that sovereigns are guided and the destinies of states controlled.

The Reichsminister of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda enjoyed every aspect of his job

and worked at it day and night. Here he had two rich and well-dressed Americans, and at least

one of them appeared to be intelligent. He thought just what Heinrich had been thinking for

the past twelve years—to send Lanny Budd out as a missionary to spread the faith in the lands

where he was at home. Said Goebbels: "All that we National Socialists want is to be left alone,

so that we can reorganize our country's industry, solve the problem of unemployment by public

works, and show the world what a model state can be. We have absolutely nothing to gain by

forcing our ideas upon other peoples."

Said Lanny: "Ten years ago Mussolini told me that Fascismo was not for export. But since

then I have seen him export it to Germany."

The Reichsminister Doktor perceived that this was indeed an intelligent young man, in spite of

his well-tailored clothes and rich wife. "We have learned where we could," he admitted.

"Even from Lenin," smiled the other.

"If I answered that, Mr. Budd, it would have to be, as you Americans say, off the record."

"Naturally, Herr Reichsminister. I ought to explain to you that I had the good fortune to be

secretary and translator to one of the experts on the American staff at the Peace Conference. I

learned there how international business is carried on, and to keep my own counsel."

"Are you older than your years, Mr. Budd—or is it that you are older than your looks?"

"I was only nineteen at the time, but I had lived all over Europe, and knew the languages

better than a geographer from what we call a 'fresh-water college' in the Middle West."

"Eine frisch-Wasser-Universität?" translated the Minister of Enlightenment, puzzled; and when

Lanny explained, "Süßwasser," he said: "One thing that I envy you Americans is your amusing

forms of speech."

"Other people laugh at us," responded Lanny; "they fail to realize that we are laughing at

ourselves."

"I perceive that you are a philosopher, Mr. Budd. I, too, had aspirations in that direction, but

the has claimed me.