Out of the Smoke Page 29
“‘We’ve heard that the railroads over in Colorado are laying new lines of track. How about that, Dad? Me working on a track gang, same thing you did when you were my age. There’s also the Civilian Conservation Corp hiring people all across the country to build roads or public parks, make campgrounds and trails in the national parks, that kind of stuff. We have also heard that the vast oil fields in Oklahoma have made that state an island of financial stability in an ocean of depression. However, if that’s the case, there are probably thousands of men there looking for work already, so that seems more risky, especially when it is so far away. Another option is the construction of the Hoover Dam near Las Vegas. They’re saying that’s the largest construction project in the history of our country. Eventually they’ll be hiring up to 7,000 men.
“‘I say all of that so that you know we are not just striking out blindly. We have plans. And those plans include taking out only a small amount from our wages each week for our living expenses once we find work. The rest we will send back to our families via money orders.
“‘Please forgive me for not having the courage to wait and tell you this all in person, but I knew that you would try to stop me, and this is hard enough at it is. Please, Mom and Dad, trust me on this.
“‘Mama, I promise I will write often. And when we find work for a time, such as at the dam, I’ll call or write and let you know where we are. But don’t be surprised if there are times when you may not hear from me a while.
“‘Give my love to Abby. I will miss her fiercely. Abby, please write to Lisa and tell her that my correspondence may not be as regular as before, but I shall keep in touch. It’s probably best if she still keeps sending her letters to you there at home, since I won’t know where we’re going to be or for how long. BUT YOU CAN’T OPEN THEM UNTIL I GET HOME! PROMISE!!!
“‘I have to go. Mose is ready. Mom and Dad, please forgive me. I love you more than words can express. Pray for us.’”
For several minutes the only sound in the room was the weeping of Edie and Abby. Mitch read the letter again to himself and then stared out the window at the coming day. Finally, Edie wiped at her eyes and turned to Mitch. “He heard every word we said this morning.”
Mitch nodded. He had come to the same conclusion.
“How could we be so stupid as to talk about it with the window open?”
“Edie—”
“I want to go looking for them.”
“No,” Mitch said quietly. “You heard what he said. And we have no idea where they went.”
“Then we’ll check out every possibility. They’ve only been gone a couple of hours.”
Mitch was shaking his head before she finished. “I’m sure they’re hitchhiking. There’s not a lot of traffic nowadays, but if they got a lift, they could be a hundred miles away by now.”
“I don’t care. We have to try.”
Abby looked up, wiping at her eyes. “Mama, one part of me desperately wants to try to find him too, but Benji is right. He has to do this, and maybe I—”
Edie cut her off sharply. “No, Abby. Don’t you even say it! We need you here. Don’t you dare think about leaving.”
Mitch got up, went to Abby, and pulled her to her feet. He then drew her into his arms and laid his cheek against her hair. “Sorry, Abby, but you’re my top cowhand now. We need you. And you know I’m not just saying that, right?”
She looked up, her eyes filling with tears again. “Yes, Daddy.”
Mitch kissed her hair, holding her very tightly for a few moments, and then he stepped back and gave her a gentle nudge. “Why don’t you go see if MJ and June are up yet? Tell them the news. We’ll tell Celeste and Reggie. After what Celeste told us about how she and BJ clashed over Mose, she’s going to blame herself.”
Edie wiped at her own eyes. “Let’s all have breakfast together. Tell MJ and June. And we’ll have a family prayer before we eat. And a good cry after that,” she added forlornly.
“No, Mama,” Abby whispered, “a long, long, long cry after that.”
May 7, 1933, 9:31 a.m.—Eckhardt Home
From the front porch, Hans leaned heavily on his crutches and watched as his mother, wife, and children loaded into their Mercedes-Benz. He smiled. They were growing up, and they now filled the car to capacity, the younger ones sitting on the laps of the older ones in the back seat. As Emilee pulled the car away from the curb, he waved and called out his goodbyes. They waved back.
He watched them disappear around the corner at the end of the street and felt a twinge of guilt. That was not because he wasn’t going to church with them. Heavens, no. But over the years since his mother and wife had joined the Mormon Church, he had frequently been critical—even disdainful—of their faith and the way they clung to the hope it gave them. That resentment had long since melted away. Though it was still a little grudgingly, he now admitted that their religion had not only brought satisfaction to them, but it had made for a stronger family, better children, and a happier marriage for him and Emilee.
No, the guilt stemmed from the fact that he was glad to see them go because this was his favorite time of the week these days. With the various meetings the Church held, his family would be gone for five or six hours. That much quiet and alone time had become a favorite luxury for Hans. He suspected that Emilee guessed that was partly why he no longer objected to her going to church, but she hadn’t said anything about it.
Wincing as he put too much weight on his right leg and felt the old familiar jolt of pain shoot through him, Hans awkwardly opened the screen door and went back inside. He had undergone an operation on his tailbone and sacroiliac joint that immediately reduced some of the worst of his pain, but not all of it. His doctors kept telling him to be patient, but after living with back pain for almost ten years, he had been pretty pessimistic. To his great surprise, and Emilee’s enormous relief, in the last couple of weeks the pain had become more intermittent and definitely more manageable. He was on crutches now and doing pretty well. Every day he did the exercises his doctor had given him, which was definitely helping. The lead orthopedic surgeon had told him that he may need to use a cane for the rest of his life, but the pain and discomfort would become minimal. That was wonderful news.
Hans was still not working due to his disability, and the doctor thought it would be at least another month or two before he would be able to return to his employment. He wished that this news had saddened him, but such was not the case. He actually dreaded the day when he would have to put in a full day of work.
Hans made his way into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Then, using only one crutch so he could carry the cup, he went back through the living room to his office. There on his desk, Emilee had laid everything out for him: His journal, his fountain pen, a bottle of black ink, newspapers from yesterday and this morning, and—best of all—a platter of Hörnchen, “little horns,” or croissants, as the French called them. Next to them was a saucer of butter and a jar of his mother’s homemade blackberry preserves. Ah, the perfect way to start his day.
He adjusted the cushion on his chair and then carefully lowered himself into it, laying the crutch on the floor beside him. Pushing the newspapers to one side—he would read them later—he buttered two of the little horns and smeared them with jam. He ate the first one in two bites and washed it down with coffee and then opened his journal to his last entry. He frowned. His most recent entry had been over a month ago. Well, that was his task for the day, and he actually looked forward to it.
Intently he reviewed his last several entries:
“9 Mar. 1933. To say that Adolf Hitler has capitalized on his appointment as Reichschancellor would be an enormous understatement. New programs, new changes, new laws are almost a daily occurrence now, and it astonishes me how quickly the people have come to take this for granted.
“With his usual political acumen and nimbleness
, Hitler is moving forward boldly, consolidating his power and instituting new programs and new laws at every turn.
“Using the powers granted to him in the presidential decree, Hitler has ordered General von Epp of the Sturmabteilung to bring some storm troopers down here to Munich. The nationalist-leaning state government has been completely dissolved and a Nazi regime established in its place. Within a week, Reich Commissioners were appointed to take over the leadership of all other state governments, with the exception of Prussia, where Hermann Goering is already ensconced as minister of state. Are city and parish governments next?”
Hans laid the journal down for a moment and then consumed the second little horn and drank some more coffee before continuing.
“12 Mar. 1933. America has also just gone through a major political change. My friend Alemann Zeidner believes there are some interesting parallels between them and us. Franklin Roosevelt, who won in a landslide victory last November, was sworn in earlier this month as president of the United States. He immediately called for an emergency session of Congress (their Parliament), which is to last 100 days, and launched one governmental program after another at breathtaking speed. (Sounds familiar!)
“Everything is aimed at mitigating the terrible effects of the depression through governmental programs. (Sounds familiar!) All of this makes him highly popular with the people, which creates more political capital for his administration. (Sounds familiar!)
“Today Roosevelt gave the first of what he calls his ‘fireside chats’ over national radio. (Perhaps an idea taken from Goebbels’s national broadcast of Hitler speaking to the people just prior to our election?) Reaction to this new approach of connecting with the people seems to be very positive. Propaganda speeches from the government are now a regular occurrence.
“15 Mar. 1933. Hitler has declared that the hated Weimar Republic, which was created when Germany signed the Armistice in November 1918, is no more. This declaration has been met with wild enthusiasm all across the Fatherland. We are now to be called the Third Reich. The First Reich was the Holy Roman Empire set up under Emperor Charlemagne in AD 800. The Second Reich was the German Empire set up in 1870 by Otto von Bismarck, which was replaced by the Weimar Republic. Hitler promises that the Third Reich will last for a thousand years.
“21 Mar. 1933. In America, Roosevelt has moved ahead in his “first 100 days” campaign, pushing through massive government programs designed to combat the catastrophic effects of the depression, particularly the vast unemployment there. These will cost the government billions of dollars, and will most certainly increase individual income taxes for the people, but his popularity continues to rise.
“The Decree against Malicious Attacks has been passed by the Reichstag, which is now firmly under Adolf’s control. It forbids the making of any statement that is untrue or grossly exaggerated and that may seriously harm the welfare of the Reich. This is broadly interpreted to include any form of criticism of the Nazi regime or leadership. Jokes about the Nazis or Hitler himself, which were once heard on virtually every street corner, could now land one in prison or a concentration camp for an undetermined length of time.
“At the opening of the new (and temporary) Reichstag in Potsdam, Hitler, in a master stroke of propaganda, publicly praised and honored Hindenburg for all his greatness as a former military general and for his contribution to the Fatherland as head of state for the past eight years. He also hinted that it is time for Germany to rearm itself. That won him not only the warm support of the army but also enthusiastic support of the financial bigwigs and industrialists, who stand to profit handsomely as the government orders planes, tanks, trucks, artillery pieces, and the like.
“As I write this, a memory from many years ago comes to mind. After the disastrous Beer Hall Putsch, Adolf made two statements that I had forgotten until recently. First: We cannot win power by revolution any longer. We must win it through constitutional means or not at all. Second: Without the full power of the army behind us, we can never rule the Fatherland. His prescience is incredible and uncanny!
“23 Mar. 1933. A dark day for the Fatherland. Meeting in their temporary quarters in the Kroll Opera House, the National Parliament has passed a law called Laws for Removing the Distress of People and Reich, also called the Enabling Act, meaning that it enables the national cabinet members (led by Hitler as chancellor) to (a) directly control the Reich budget, an enormously powerful tool; (b) approve treaties with foreign nations without Reichstag approval; and (c) initiate constitutional amendments and changes without the approval of the Reichstag. That one sends chills all through me as I write it. For all intents and purposes, we no longer have a viable constitution that governs our nation. These rights are granted for a period of four years—an eternity in the world of German politics! It further states that the laws enacted by the cabinet can be written by the chancellor alone if he chooses, and that these laws can deviate from the requirements of the constitution when necessary.
“The irony tragedy of all this is that the Reichstag approved the measure with a large majority. This is astonishing. Why would the deputies agree to such a staggering surrender of their own powers? The answer is not complicated. As the vote was about to be taken, S.A. men with clubs and truncheons lined the aisles of the chamber, watching closely how the delegates voted. The amazing thing is, even with such intimidation, 84 delegates still voted against it, making the vote 441 to 84.
“Another power extended by the Enabling Act is a new court system called the Sondergericht, which goes into effect immediately. In cases of ‘insidious attacks against the government,’ meaning any criticism of their leaders or their policies, trial by jury is now done away with and judgment will be rendered by three judges in one of these “special courts.” Ominously, each of the three judges must be approved by the government. Even attorneys for the defendants must be approved by Nazi officials. All of this in the name of justice, of course.
“And here is the ultimate irony in my mind. In a speech to the Reichstag deputies shortly before this vote was taken, Herr Hitler blithely promised that these new powers would be used only to restore order and maintain peace. He also stated without blinking an eye that this new law poses no threat to the Reichstag, the president, or the constitution. And his speech was met with thunderous applause and wild cheering by the delegates even though, in this case, there was no intimidation.
“1 Apr. 1933. A civil service law has been implemented stating that Jews are not true Germans. Hitler has also declared a national boycott of all Jewish shops and businesses, including professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, etc. Jewish business owners are required to post the word Jewish along with a Star of David in a conspicuous place both outside and inside their places of business. All ‘true Germans’ are strongly urged to boycott these shops and businesses and restrict themselves to Aryan establishments. Sadly, this has been met with much rejoicing by many of the populace.
“7 April 1933. The new civil service law has now been extended to apply to all judges and magistrates throughout the Reich, thus eliminating all Jews in government service and putting all others on notice that they will either espouse the Nazi party line or lose their jobs. As one Nazi commissioner explained this to jurists and attorneys: ‘There is no independence of law against National Socialism. Say to yourselves with every decision you make, how would the Führer decide in my place? Then you will have a firm, iron foundation that, allied with the unity of the National Socialist People’s State and with your own recognition of the eternal nature of the will of Adolf Hitler, will endow your own sphere of decision with the authority of the Third Reich.’
“A neighbor and friend of ours, who is a professor at the Ludwig Maximillian University, said that the university immediately terminated dozens of Jewish faculty members and staff. This is the case all across the land. Sadly, this action too has been received with much rejoicing by significant numbers of the people.”
After a minute or so, he took the last of the croissants, buttered it and smeared it with jam, and reread his last two entries as he slowly munched on his food. When he was done, he licked his fingers and then wiped them on a napkin. Finally, thoughtfully, he picked up his pen and added one more entry.
“7 May 1933. It may seem curious why I, an active and high-ranking member of the National Socialist Party, have written things that are quite critical—no, highly critical—of that regime. It is a question with which I still wrestle. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to chronicle what is happening to our country. To do so could easily be interpreted as seditious, even treasonous, behavior. In fact, this paragraph alone violates the Decree of Malicious Attacks on numerous levels and could land me in prison for a very long time.
“Therefore, yesterday, while Emilee had the children at the park, I found a place in the bathroom that will provide a secure hiding place for my journal. Beneath the sink, next to the bathtub, there is an access panel in the wall. It is about a foot square and is normally covered with a piece of plywood that is painted to match the color of the wall. This panel provides access for a plumber to get into the bathtub plumbing if necessary.
“I examined it closely and found that if I remove some of the insulation inside the wall, I can create a space large enough to accommodate my journal. By carefully replacing the insulation and tamping it in tightly so that it shows no signs of being disturbed, I remove any trace of the hiding place. Even if someone opened the cover, everything would look completely normal. Will it be enough to pass scrutiny if my home is ever searched? I hope so, but either way, it will have to do until I can find something more satisfactory.”