PAPEN OFFENDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 144, 20 June 1934, Page 7

PAPEN OFFENDS.

NAZIS CRITICISED. "ENTHUSIASM WANES." Speech That Nearly Caused Cabinet Crisis. DISCUSSION WITH HITLER. (United r.A.—Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Received 11.SO a.m.) LONDON, June 19. "Tho Times" Berlin correspondent says that a Cabinet storm followed Herr von Pa pen's speech at Marburg University, in which ho declared that enthusiasm for the Nazi regime was declining. He also attacked the Government's campaign against carping critics, declaring that the Government ought to be strong enough to stand decent criticism. The speech was partially suppressed in the newspapers. Von Papen added that patriots should not be branded as enemies of the State. The German people knew the situation was serious and knew <jf the existence of an economic crisis. ' They had an acute sense of injustice and violence, and smiled over indiscreet attempts to deceive them by falsification.

Dr. Rosenberg, Hitler's foreign propaganda agent, writing in the chief Nazi - newspaper in Berlin, refers to the Papen ' crisis, saying: "The State must now examine every Nazi and force him to be either a highly qualified member of the party or resign." It was understood that if von Papen had resigned he would probably have been followed by Count von Neurath, Foreign Minister, and Count von Krosigk, Minister of Finance, who are both lion-Nazis. A later message from Berlin states that a Cabinet crisis was averted following a discussion between' Hitler and von Papen, the latter agreeing that the speech was unsuitable for general publication.