The President Elect

A Political Play by Bassett Kendall

ACT III

The next morning; about 9.45.

(Bessing and Otto are discovered. Bess. still has a revolver and is clearly guarding Otto. Both are seated.)

Bess. (Looking at wristwatch.) In half an hour you will be proclaimed King, Sir. My congratulations.

Otto. (Controlling himself admirably.) Your sarcasm is in very bad taste, Herr Bessing.

Bess. Think so? Well, I was not born in the purple; risen from the ranks I have – and proud of it. Not many men in Europe today can say that they have risen from paper boy to a seat in the Government.

Otto. On the contrary – most of the leading politicians of today are in that proud position. The real distinction today is to be a statesman of good family.

Bess. Now it’s you who’s being sarcastic.

Otto. Not at all. I’m merely stating a fact.

Bess. Mind you I’m not expecting to be Chancellor – or anything of that sort. Most likely the General will combine the office of Chancellor with the Presidency.

Otto. That has been found convenient in neighbouring countries.

Bess. But I shall get some post of importance – Minister of the Interior – or of Public Works, most likely. (Otto gets up to flick ash off cigar.) You must sit still.

Otto. Well, would you mind giving me an ash tray. (Bess. gets one.) I don’t want to spoil my host’s carpet. Thank you. I don’t quite understand what position you hold at present in the Nazi organisation.

Bess. Oh, I’m a troop leader in what we call the Tempest troops. There are ten of us. We each have 1500 men under our command. I shall be going on parade in a few minutes, when the General appears – here’s my grey shirt. (Opens his coat.)

Otto. I see. Then you are one of the ten who elected the General as President.

Bess. I nominated him. You see. I’ve been working here under him for three years. He’s clever, the General.

Otto. Yes: he has brains.

Bess. Chief of Police for 3 years and foxing the Court and the Ministry all the time: yes, he’s clever – doesn’t give away much. He had you on well yesterday – telling you to trust no one, as if he was the only one you could believe in.

Otto. Yes – I was taken in. I admit it.

Bess. And then the way he handled the Ministers yesterday: that was good too. Making them all distrust one another.

Otto. Oh, how did he manage that?

Bess. He had given away some information to the German Government. Well, instead of keeping his mouth shut about it, as an ordinary man would, he tells them all about it – and makes them all think the other had done it. So instead of doing anything to stop the Revolution, they have spent the whole night watching one another.

Otto. Very ingenious.

Bess. And then his interview with the German Minister – Schimmel – that was a masterpiece. Let him think he was converting him to be a good little Nazi – and all the time he was pumping him about the intentions of the German Government.

Otto. Herr Bessing, I don’t agree with your politics, as you know. But I believe you’re an honest man and I don’t want to see you let down. Don’t you think you are making a mistake in putting so much trust in General von Götz? On your own showing he has outwitted some of the ablest men in Keinland. Isn’t it possible that he’s deceiving you and your Nazi friends too?

Bess. (Startled.) Double-crossing us, you mean?

Otto. Just that.

Bess. He’s capable of it. But no – the General wouldn’t do that. There’d be no point in it. We’re as necessary to him as he is to us.

Otto. For the moment – yes. But if your revolution succeeds –

Bess. It’ll succeed all right.

Otto. I was saying – if your revolution succeeds, you will have put von Götz into a position of such power that he will be an absolute Dictator. Then if he begins to think that you or any of your friends are – in his way – a sudden raid and you will disappear. The same thing has happened in a neighbouring country.

Bess. I know the General pretty well. I don’t think he’ll double-cross us. But he’d better not try.

Otto. Well – let’s leave that point. I only wanted to warn you; my love for Keinland is so real, that whatever government is in power I should like to see honest men at the head of it. Let’s turn to another matter – and one in which I can’t help feeling some personal interest. What do you mean to do with me?

Bess. You’ll have to abdicate.

Otto. And supposing I’m foolish enough to refuse.

Bess. Then there’ll be no need of an abdication. But I hope it won’t come to that. I don’t mind admitting, I’ve taken quite a fancy to you, Otto. I’d like to see you get away with a safe skin – and what’s more, I’ll use my personal influence to help you do so.

Otto. That’s very good of you. Herr Bessing. (Rises again.)

Bess. Now you really mustn’t walk about, Otto. My orders are to keep you quiet till the General comes.

Otto. Look here, Bessing, you’re an honest man, and I don’t like to think that you and your friends are just being used as stepping stones by von Götz. I’ll make you a fair offer; help me out of this and I’ll give a free pardon to you and all your 15,000 Nazi friends.

Bess. Are you trying to be funny, Otto?

Otto. Not a bit. Your revolution can’t possibly succeed.

Bess. Now –

Otto. One moment, please. The army and air force are absolutely loyal to me; you may set up a Republic in Karlstadt for a few days – but then you’ll be shelled and bombed out of the city. And thousands of innocent lives will be lost through your own hot-headed stupidity. Now will you take my offer? Let me go to the Palace and a free pardon to everyone – except von Götz.

Bess. No, I’m not going back on the General unless he goes back on us. If he does that, let him take care of himself.

(Enter von Götz.)

von G. Slept well, Sir?

Otto. Not very. There’s more traffic here than outside my room at the Palace.

von G. You can go now, Bessing, and take charge of your troop. The parade is due to move off in ten minutes.

Bess. Very good, General.

von G. You sent that note round to Herr Schimmel?

Bess. Yes – at 8 o’clock.

von G. Remember your cue.

Bess. I’ve got that taped, General. (To Otto.) I have the honour to proclaim the establishment of the Republic and the name of the new President. (To von G.) Good luck, General, till we meet again.

(Exit Bess. He has discarded his coat and makes the Nazi salute.)

von G. Now, Sir, I am anxious to get everything settled as peaceably and amicably as possible. I have here a declaration of your abdication, which I want you to sign.

Otto. May I ask you a question, General?

von G. The time’s getting short, so I don’t want much argument. What is it?

Otto. If I refuse to sign, what happens?

von G. I shall tell my supporters of your refusal – and then I’ll not be answerable for the consequences.

(Enter Schimmel.)

Schim. Good morning, Mr. President.

von G. Not yet President, your Excellency.

Schim. In a quarter of an hour’s time, eh? I was glad to get your note, General. There had been so many conflicting rumours during the night about the activities of the police, that I was relieved to be reassured by your self-confidence. Some said the police were raiding the Nazi headquarters, others that they were at the other end of the city.

von G. You can take it from me, that the second rumour was the correct version. I gave the orders. The police are zealously watching the houses of a large number of poor but quite inoffensive citizens. When they return to the centre of the city, they will find that Keinland is already a Republic. But whatever their political convictions may be, they’ll take their orders from me as they have done for the past three years.

Schim. Capital, my dear Sir. And to think that you are the President Elect! To be quite candid, General, I did not suspect it yesterday. I went away with a pleasant glow of self satisfaction, believing that I had made an all-important convert. But you should have trusted a friend, General.

von G. Trust no one – that’s my motto, Schimmel – until you’re certain things are going right.

Schim. And has your royal guest been wise enough to comply with your wishes?

von G. He was just going to do so when your arrival interrupted us.

Otto. You seem very certain about it.

von G. I am certain – one way or the other. I should prefer you to sign: I am a man of peace.

Otto. You have told me what will happen if I don’t sign. But what if I do?

von G. You will be free to leave the country – and the ex-Queen with you.

Otto. What if I prefer to remain in Keinland as a private individual?

von G. Our first step will be to pass a law for the expulsion of Jews.

Otto. How does that affect me?

Schim. You have Jewish blood in your veins, Sir; you are not pure Aryan.

Otto. I see. Well, von Götz, you may threaten till you’re blue in the face, but I shall not sign that document. (Enter Queen. She is anxious and worried.)

Queen. Otto – I’m thankful to see you safe; I thought you would send some message – and when none arrived, I felt anxious. Good morning, General von Götz, and thank you for taking such good care of the King.

von G. I assure you, Madam, I have been guarding him most zealously. I don’t think you have yet met Herr Schimmel; he arrived only two days ago from Berlin. (They bow to one another.)

Queen. General, has everything gone well in the night?

von G. Most satisfactorily, Madam. His Majesty is just on the point of abdicating.

Queen. Abdicating? I don’t understand.

Otto. Mother – I’ve been kidnapped. General von Götz is the leader of the Revolution.

Schim. The President Elect.

Queen. But abdicating! Otto, say it’s not true.

Otto. Mother, so long as there’s breath in my body, I shall remain King of Keinland.

Schim. You will clearly have to use some gentle pressure, General.

von G. Madam, your arrival is most opportune. Even I should have hesitated to send to the Palace to take you prisoner. But your coming of your own account solves my difficulties; it reminds me of a favourite rhyme of my childhood, “Will you walk into my parlour, said the spider to the fly.”

Schim. Your being on the spot, Madam, puts a powerful weapon in the General’s hands.

Queen. I don’t understand. What do you mean?

von G. (To Otto.) I spoke yesterday, Sir, of the respect and affection in which the Queen is held. That is true, as far as it goes. But if you refuse to abdicate, the crowd will become excited – and an infuriated mob takes little thought of past loyalties. You understand what I mean, Sir?

Otto. If I do not sign, you will hand over my mother to the mob?

von G. Just that, Sir.

Otto. Give me the document. (von G. lays it down.)

Queen. He wouldn’t dare do it, Otto. He’s bluffing you.

(Enter Adler, Hamm and Lehm., followed by Wiener.)

Adl. It is my painful duty, General von Götz, to demand your immediate resignation from the offices that you now hold – and to order your arrest on a charge of High Treason.

von G. (Looking at his watch – then out of the window.) My resignation I give you, Mr. Chancellor with the utmost readiness. As for my arrest, that is another matter. It is perfectly easy for you to put me under arrest at this moment: I see my good friend Wiener is waiting to carry out your orders. And I have rather foolishly left my revolver in that drawer. So I am at your mercy. But it is now 9.55. In five minutes the square outside will be filled by 15,000 Nazis. If you seriously think you can hold me as your prisoner in the face of 15,000 determined supporters, I am afraid you are expecting too much of the good Wiener.

Hamm. The Police can be called in to his support.

von G. If all the police in Karlstadt were here in the square, do you suppose they could do anything against 15,000 armed men?

Hamm. Most of them will be here in a few minutes.

von G. No, Baron, the square will be full of Nazis – and that you know as well as I. Nothing can now hinder the success of the Revolution; nothing can prevent me from being President of Keinland. By this afternoon a new Government will be set up, the King will have left the country and the Swastika will be flying on the Royal palace.

Schim. And the new Republic will have been recognised by the Government of my country.

von G. Tomorrow we shall have concluded through Herr Schimmel, the union of Keinland with the National Socialist State across the frontier.

Otto. (With real emotion.) And Keinland for the first time for 800 years will have lost her independence.

von G. As for the Police, in whom Baron von Hammerstein puts his trust, they are watching the Communist quarters of the city a mile away.

Lehm. That’s where you’re wrong, von Götz. The Police have been more actively occupied during the night than you suppose.

von G. The parade is late, Schimmel. I hope nothing has gone wrong.

Lehm. Listen to me, von Götz. There will be no Nazi parade this morning. Last night the Police, acting in accordance with the plan you yourself outlined to us, raided all the Nazi centres, captured their arms and arrested nine of their ten leaders.

von G. By whose orders was this done?

Wien. By mine, sir.

von G. Let me remind you, Major Wiener, that your first duty was loyalty to your Chief.

Wien. I had to choose, sir, between disobedience to my superior officer and treachery to my country. I preferred to disobey you. It is for His Majesty and his advisers to decide whether I did right.

Adl. (To Otto.) It has been entirely due to Major Wiener’s resourcefulness and courage, Sir, that the Revolution has been averted. Suspecting the disloyalty of his Chief, at great personal risk he seized his papers. These conclusively proved his guilt. Major Wiener reported all the facts to Dr. Lehmann and offered to countermand General von Götz’ orders to the Police. We unanimously approved his plan and decided to put into immediate operation the General’s own scheme for raiding the Nazi centres.

Otto. Major Wiener, we wish to express our warm appreciation of your loyalty and courage. And as an outward token of our esteem we promote you to the office which has just been vacated by Baron von Götz’ resignation.

(Wien. salutes. The Queen holds out her hand.)

Queen. May I add my thanks to the King’s, Major Wiener. But no words of mine can add to the happiness you must yourself feel in being the saviour of Keinland.

Wien. (Kissing her hand.) Your Majesty’s words will be the most treasured remembrance of my life.

Otto. But your first duty, Major Wiener, will be a painful one – to place your predecessor under arrest. He shall have a just trial – and, if his guilt is proved, a just punishment. As for the rest of the Nazi revolutionaries, it is my wish, Mr. Chancellor, that none of them except the ringleaders shall be put under arrest or shall suffer any penalties for their proposed participation in today’s Revolution. It has always been my dream that when, in the fullness of time, I became King, my reign should be one of mercy and happiness in Keinland, that political liberty and individual freedom should be respected and that I myself should be regarded, not merely as the ruler, but as the servant of my people. And it is a real happiness to me to be able to prove this desire at the very beginning of my reign by extending a free pardon to all those whose misguided enthusiasms carried them to the verge of treason.

Adl. You have shown a generosity, Sir, which is only to be expected of the sons of our late beloved King. And I have no doubt that this liberality will be all that is needed to bring back your errant subjects to loyalty, and to yoke their enthusiasm to your service.

von G. Sir, I know that I shall have a just trial – I know that by the laws of the country I shall be found guilty of treason, and the punishment of treason is death. But before I leave this room, I want to make it clear that I regret nothing – nothing except my failure. I aimed at dictatorship – the highest power that a man can achieve – at absolute sway over millions of my fellow creatures. In working for this end I have spent the three most interesting years of my career – I have outwitted the ablest brains in the country – I have been looking in the eyes of death every minute. If I had achieved my ambition, I should not have been safe – a dictator lives in hourly peril of assassination. I am a gambler by nature: I staked my life, and I have lost. I have no regrets. I am not afraid to die. For the last time, Sir, I take my leave of you. Major Wiener, I am at your disposal.

(Bessing rushes in.)

Bess. So you’ve double-crossed us, von Götz. I’ve been down to Headquarters and the Police were in occupation. My comrades are arrested. You said you’d send them off on a fool’s errand – and all the time you were using them against your friends. You’ve double-crossed us – and just to save your own skin.

von G. You are a fool, Bessing –

Bess. I may be a fool – but it’s not always brains that win. You’ve betrayed your friends – and a traitor’s reward is death.

(He shoots him. Wiener and Lehmann rush to seize him. Adler and Hamm. stoop over von G. There is no need to hold Bessing: the moment he sees von Götz fall he stands looking down in horror at the body. A long pause.)

Bess. Have I killed him?

Hamm. He’s dead.

Bess. I’ve killed the only man I ever admired and loved.

(Wiener leads him off.)

Otto. Perhaps this is the best that could have happened. It is certainly what he himself would have chosen. Mr. Chancellor, the man Bessing will of course have to stand his trial for murder – but you will make a point of informing the Court that it is my wish that he shall be shown the utmost leniency which is consistent with justice.

Adl. I will indeed, Sir.

Schim. My stay in Keinland has been short but eventful, Sir. In the turn that events have taken I feel it would be the wish of my illustrious President that I should not present my credentials. I will therefore take this opportunity of expressing my congratulations, Sir, and will return to my own country to make way for a Minister who will be more acceptable at your Court. Good day, gentlemen.

(Exit Schimmel.)

Adl. You have had a trying day, Madam, and will no doubt wish to return at once to the Palace. We will leave you and his Majesty with our heartfelt expressions of loyalty and affection. Herr Lehmann will arrange for an escort of the police to conduct you home.

Hamm. Sir, I served under your Father for 30 years; I hope to have many more to show my devotion to you.

Otto. Words fail me, gentlemen. I can only say on behalf of my Mother and myself – thank you.

(Exeunt statesmen.)

Otto. (Looking down at von Götz’ body.) He was an able man – and a brave one. Let those be the qualities we remember in him.

(There are murmurs outside, as of a great crown collecting.)

Queen. Otto, your reign has begun in turmoil – but through tribulation we reach strength. (Band plays.) Our National Anthem. (She goes to window.) Otto, your subjects are waiting for you. (Otto opens the window and a great cheer goes up, drowning the music. Through the cheers are heard the words “God save the King” – and this cry is taken up by thousands of throats as the curtain falls.)

CURTAIN