Circulation of Nazi Papers
Snt,—Who has been purling your leg with regard to the circulation of Hitler's paper, Viilkischer Beobachter (and of the Schwarze Korps, tool)? The figure of 14 million is quite fantastic. I happen to know that the actual figure is about 750,000. The S. Korps sells about 80,000. Such a figure as 14 million is impossible. The paper does not possess the printing or public facilities for such a stupendous sale, and it is quite obvious to every visitor to Germany that it could not possibly be so widely spread. It is seen less often than, say, the Express or Mail in England. If you purchase a copy in London and look at the centre page you will find the figures of the sales for the last week. They vary between 700,000 and 800,000, or did when I was in Germany in October last. (lt is obligatory in Germany for papers to publish their sales each week.) I may add that the figures for the Stunner are also quite wrong. Please remember that I do not write as an enemy of your own excellent paper, but purely because I regret that the reputation it has well deserved for accuracy should be compromised by such a serious blunder. Nor do I ask you to accept my word. If you make independent enquiries you will find that I am right, M. Boone iThe error. which we also regret. was due to the difficulties of telephonic communication between ono end who knew little German and the other who knew even less English.
Our German correspondent writes:— You have obviously misunderstood the figures which you published about the eireulotion of Nazi newspapers and periodicals. You write that the Volkischer Beobachter, Herr Hitler's official news organ, has a circulation of 14,000,000, seven times that of any daily paper in Great Britain. That is a mistake. The figures which you published mean the monthly circulation. The daily circulation of the VOlkischer Beobachter iN only one-thirtioth of that and is ridiculously small for Germany's biggest newspaper. That figure of 500,001) is in fact the circulation of two newspapers, bemuse one is printed in Berlin and the other in Munich.
Here are the daily figures:—
Munich local edition 100,000 Munich provincial edition 40,000 Berlin local edition ........ 240,000 Potsdam local edition 10,000 Berlin provincial edition 110,000 — Total 500,000 It should not be forgotten that all town halls, public reading-rooms, school readingrooms and so on are compulsory subscribers (the subscription is paid from the budget), so that the number of voluntary subscribers is small.
There are in Germany not more than six or seven dailies whose subscription is higher than 100,000. Figures are lower than they used to be before Hitler came to power. Then the Berliner Morgenpast which appeared in a Jewish publishing house had Germany's highest circulation, 750,000.
It is true that such weeklies as Der Statine.r. Des Schwarze Korps and Per S.A.Mann were able to reach circulations of 500,000 or 400,000 copies 'weekly. But. it may be worth adding that there are also eight Catholic weeklies which have still a circu lation al over 100.000 each. The Catholic monthly magazine Die TlIritmission which has just been suppressed by the secret police sold '300,000 copies of each issue.]