GERMAN ELECTIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 247, 1 August 1932, Page 5

GERMAN ELECTIONS

PARTIES IN REICHSTAG NAZIS NOW IN THE LEAD. TWENTY-SEVEN DIVISIONS. EXPECTATIONS OF STALEMATE. THE FIRST RETURNS RECEIVED. 1 United Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) BERLIN, July 31. The election of members of the German Reichstag took place today. After 28,500,000 votes ( had been counted, the position was: Nazis 175 Socialists 102 Communists 70 Centre Party 60 Nationalists 27 Others 29 At 9.30 p.m., when 20,000,000 votes had been counted, it was expected that the Nazis would receive at most 40 per cent of the votes. QUIET DAY IN BERLIN. NAZIS LOSE GROUND IN CITIES. (Received This Day, 1.0 p.m.) BERLIN, July 31. Brilliant sunshine favoured the polling, which apparently was the heaviest on record. The day passed quietly in Berlin, in violent contrast to Saturday, when many clashes occurred. The calm was perhaps because 20,000 police were on duty in Berlin alone. Half the electors voted before one o’clock. Many sick were carried to tlie booths on stretchers.

Captain von Papen (the Chancellor) voted in the morning at a tavern near the River Spree. Marshal von Hindenburg (the President) drove ’ from his estate at Nuedeck (East Prussia), and recorded his vote at the village school, where he was cheered by the villagers. General Ludendorff did not vote, and instructed his small following to boycott the election.

It generally appears that the Nazi vote in the cities has declined, compared with that at the election of the Prussian (Diet, but increased compared with the Reichstag election in 1930. In the country districts the Nazis considerably improved their position. In the working districts of the towns the red flag, the hammer and sickle of the Communists, outnumbered other emblems. The Socialist red flag, with three arrows, was also much in evidence. The Socialists in many cases increased their votes on the total recorded at the Prussian election. The Centre Party was about stationary, the Nazi gains being at the expense of the Right Party and smaller parties, who lost heavily. The returns at 10 o’clock suggest that the combined National-Nazi vote will not give a majority, so the election will be a bitter disappointment for Herr Hitler, as the Centre will hold the balance. FRENZIED CAMPAIGN ENDS. MANY FATAL DISTURBANCES. BERLIN, July 30. Germany* is in a fever of excitement over what is described as the greatest fight for the fate of the country since the Revolution. All signs, including the weather, point to a record poll, but the opinion is growing that the election will end in stalemate.

There are twenty-seven parties contesting the election, including a number of freak organisations whose votes will merely be wasted. The six vital parties are:— Social Democrats. Centre Party. People’s Party. Communists. National Socialists (Nazis). German Nationalists. The latest estimate of the possible outcome of the election is as follows, the figures in the last Reichstag being given in parentheses: — National-Socialist 220 (110) German Nationalists ... 140 (42) Other Right parties ... 72 (106) Government 290 Social Democrats 140 (136) Centre Party 72 (69) State Party 10 (16) Communists 72 (78) Opposition 294 Dr. Pruning, in a final election speech, declared that Captain von Papen’s use of the dictatorship clause of the constitution was a danger to Germany. The people would not tolerate it for long. Herr Hitler has concluded his flight round Germany. Last night he addressed a torch-light meeting when he was guarded by picked storm troops. A Cabinet manifesto appeals to everyone to vote because the people need an unshackled Government cooperating with a representative and willingly constitutional Reichstag. Disturbances in the city have been numerous, but were soon checked, as the city is being patrolled by police cars armed with machine-guns. Every public building is strongly guarded. Clashes occurred in many districts

resulting in eight persons being killed. One man was killed when an aeroplane which was distributing pamphlets crashed. Large numbers have been wounded and 257 were arrested. Two men of the Deichsbanner were killed and a number of others were injured in a collision with political opponents at Rosenberg.