Hitlerjugend: An In-Depth History: 1930 - Slow membership growth and continued political infighting
by Arvo L. Vercamer

But that was not enough. Von Schirach and Ernst Röhm were already busily plotting against Gruber. Röhm wanted the HJ's quasi-independence as a party organization curtailed. He wanted the HJ to be placed under a more direct control of the SA. In April of 1931, Hitler agreed to Röhm's request. The HJ now reported directly to the Chief of Staff of the SA.

Gruber now also came under greater pressures to increase memberships and report on the financial health of the HJ. Von Schirach, seeing an opening for his bid to head the HJ, criticized Gruber's administrative abilities. Though Gruber was competent, he could not politically fight both Röhm and von Schirach at the same time, especially when these two had more of Hitler's support than Gruber could muster.

But membership was still rather limited in the HJ. By 1930, the German HJ comprised approximately 900 "Ortsgruppen" totaling no more than 18.000 (12.000 boys) youths. Austria at the same time contained a further 150 HJ "Ortsgruppen" with slightly over 2.000 youths.