The Presidency: Finding Peace in Strength

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Helms rode in the car behind Hitler in a motorcade through Nuremberg, where the frenzy spilled down every street. At the Burg, a medieval castle, Hitler came out on the battlement for one of his rare interviews. Helms was seized by conflicting emotions. He looked down on Hitler, who was smaller than Helms had thought. Hitler's handshake was firm. But his personality was not hypnotic. His eyes possessed no power, as the myths had it. Hitler's skin was coarse and his mustache slightly gray. His bottom teeth were goldplated, which made Helms suspect they were false. Hitler's smile was humorless but his manner was pleasant enough. What was it about this plain man that had brought him so far, Helms wondered as Hitler talked of his hatred of Bolshevism, of the value of the party congress. Later, Helms would write: "No imagination could make anything godlike out of the ordinary mortal who chatted on that day. The striking things were the ready intelligence, the understanding of German psychology, the complete assuredness." But the sad fact was that Helms was only one of a small group of journalists and diplomats who understood the Nazi menace when there might have been time to stop Hitler.

There is no Hitler in today's world, in Helms' view. The adversary is many men, many nations arid many systems. The measures of strength are economic as much as military. But the basic challenge, believes Helms, remains unchanged: how to preserve freedom while preventing war. The world failed with Hitler. It has succeeded for nearly four decades since World War II, largely through U.S. strength and resolve. Now doubt assails us again.

So each day Helms makes his way to Room 3E333 carrying with him the memories of what started just half a century ago next week in Germany, when Hitler rose to power and weary nations turned away from danger and refused the burden of leadership. Helms is trying to make sure it does not happen again.