Mein Kampf
At this I was rather taken aback after all. As I was told that the real “national chairman” had yet to arrive, I decided to save my explanation for a while. Finally he appeared. He was the chairman at the meeting at the Sterneckerbräu on the occasion of Feder’s lecture.
In the meantime I had become curious again, and waited to see what would happen. Now at least I learned the names of the various gentlemen. The chairman of the “national organization” was a Mr. Harrer, the Munich chairman Anton Drexler.
The minutes of the last meeting were now read, and a vote of confidence given to the secretary. Then it was the turn of the treasurer’s report: there was in possession of the organization all told seven marks and fifty pfennigs—for which general confidence was expressed in the treasurer. This was also recorded in the minutes. Then the chairman read aloud the replies that were being sent to a letter from Kiel, one from Düsseldorf, and one from Berlin; these were unanimously approved. Then the incoming mail was reported: a letter from Berlin, one from Düsseldorf, and one from Kiel, whose arrival seemed to be received with great satisfaction. This increasing correspondence was declared to be an excellent and visible sign of the spreading importance of the “German Workers’ Party,” and then—then there was a long discussion of the new answers to be written.
Dreadful, dreadful. Why, this was a small-town club of the worst sort. And this was what I was supposed to join?
Then the new members were accorded the floor, or in other words my capture was taken in hand.
I began to ask questions; but aside from a few guiding principles there was nothing, no program, no leaflets, no printed matter at all, no membership card, not even a humble rubber stamp—nothing but evident good faith and good will.
I had lost my inclination to smile; for what was this but the typical sign of entire bewilderment and complete disheartenment over all the old parties, their programs, their purposes and their activities? The thing that drew these few young men together into a proceeding apparently so ridiculous was, after all, only the
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