SHOTS EXCHANGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 231, 30 September 1935, Page 7

SHOTS EXCHANGED.

Incident at Momentous Poll

At Memel.

INADEQUATE ARRANGEMENTS,

(Received 10.30 a.m.)

LONDON, September 29,

A message from Memel says that with the exception of an incident at Prokuls, where rival billposters exchanged shots and four people were injured, the elections arc proceeding ■without incident, though everywhere the inadequacy of the polling arrangements, coupled with the intricacy of the ballot papers, is sure to prevent the poll ending at eight o'clock to'night. Unbroken queues are waiting everywhere to enter the booths.

At the invitation of the Lithuanian Government Mr. T. 11. Preston, British Charge d'Affaires at Kovno, was present during the week-end at Memcl to watch the proceedings in connection with the election of tho Diet 011 Sunday.

The Lithuanian Government has given explicit assurances to the guarantor Powers —Britain, France and Italy— that the election will be held in strict accordance with the terms of the statute.

Tho Berlin correspondent of "The Times" says the Italian, French and British Ambassadors informed the German Foreign Minister, Baron von Neurath, of the Lithuanian Government's promise and expressed the hope that Germany would avoid everything which might increase the tension. Nevertheless they did not make the slightest impression on tlie Germans, who already liavo publicly discounted the step.

It is understood that Baron von Neurath declared that the representations made to the Lithuanians were wholly inadequate as the Lithuanians, trusting to the inability of the signatory Powers to take effective action, had merelv given glib assurances and were not improving their treatment of Gorman-speaking citizens of Memel.