HITLER'S SPEECH ON MEMEL

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21580, 17 September 1935, Page 11

HITLER'S SPEECH ON MEMEL

—*— * "STOLEN FROM GERMANY" LEAGUE URGED TO GRANT AUTONOMY REPRESENTATIONS SAID TO BE INEFFECTIVE

, (rnited i'kess Assuu.vuas—coi'XßiaiiT.) :(Received September 16, 9.30 p.m.) \ NUREMBERG, September 16. ' Herr Hitler, in his speech before the Reichstag at the closing of the (Nazi congress, declared: "Years alter 'the war was finished,. Memel was stolen from Germany and the theft (was legalised by the league. "The German inhabitants of | Memel have been illegally maltreated, worse than criminals, in i spite of the safeguards of agree- | ments. Their only crime is that they 'are Germans, and wish to remain Germans. I "The Keich Government watches (the situation attentively and bitterly. Representations by the responsible powers have been formal land ineffective. It would be praiseworthy for the league to bring about the autonomy of Memel before events take a turn which would be regretted by all. The preparations for the elections are an insult to justice. Germany does not make an impossible claim when she demands that Lithuania be held to the fulfilment of her obligations."

Under the Treaty of Versailles Germany renounced sovereignly over the town and territory of Memel, and a French High Commissioner, with a small garrison, governed the territory in the name of the Allies till January, 1923. when the territory was invaded and occupied by the Lithuanians. The sovereignly of the territory was transferred to Lithuania as set out in the Convention signed in Paris on May S, 1924, and ratified in August. 1925. The total area administered is 945 square miles, with a population of about 150.000. of whom 36,000 inhabit the town of Memel. Kecenfly Nazi agitation has been widespread, and it is generally admitted that the treatment of Nazis has been harsh.

THREAT TO PEACE LITHUANIA TO AI'J'LAI. TO SIGNATORY I'OWEHS (Keccived September 16, 9.30 p.m.) KAUNAS (Lithuania), Sept. IC. Herr Hitler's attack on Lithuania is considered as a threat endangering the peace of Eastern Europe. The Government intends to ask the signatory powers to the Memel statute to warn Germany. It is emphasised that the Memel elections arc conducted legally, under the eyes of representatives of the powers.

REICHSTAG MAKES .NEW LAWS FURTHER DISTINCTIONS AGAINST JEWS BASIS FOR "TOLERABLE RELATIONS" SOUGHT (Received September 10, 9.20 p.m.) NUREMBERG, September 15. The swastika is now Germany's national flag. Sixty-live thousand Storm Troops and Black Guards, 50,000 Brown Shirts, and 1000 sports airmen paraded in the presence of 100,000 spectators to hear HenHitler tell them that they were Germany's reply to the menace of Bolshevism and Jewry. A march past followed, after which the Kultur-verein Haus, elaborately decorated and fully equipped with searchlights and megaphones, was the scene of the first meeting of the Reichstag in Nuremberg for centuries. Storms of cheers greeted HenHitler as he mounted the platform. In his speech, which lasted a quarter of an hour, he extolled the "unparalleled unity" of the German people. He declared that Germany's future course would be dictated solely by her all-pervading love of peace, because her army was only to defend her freedom, not to deprive other nations of theirs.

Nevertheless, Germany must , attend to the plight of the oppressed inhabitants of Memel, which Lithuania stole and retained in spite of the representations of foreign powers. He appealed to the league to act in this matter before it was too late. Herr Hitler referred to America's disavowal of the description of the swastika, by a New York magistrate, as a pirate flag. He added that the incident had justified the Nazi protest. Germany would endeavour to create a basis for tolerable relations between Germans and Jews, reexamining the situation if the agitation continued. Herr Hitler then asked the Reichstag to pass three laws, which General Goering read. The first recognised Germany's plebt to Nazism by ordaining that the swastika should be the country's national commercial flag,' though black, white and red would remain the colours of the Reich. Herr Hitler would later determine the design of the war flag and the army and navy flags. The second law defined the conditions of citizenship, which, based on loyal service, is confined to those of German or kindred blood. The third law, "for the protection of the German blood and honour," forbids Jewish-German marriages and extra-marital intercourse be-

tween Germans and Jews, prohibits Jews employing German female domestics under 45 years of age, and forbids Jews to hoist the German flag though they may display Jewish colours. The penalties are fines or penal servitude. The Reichstag passed ,aJJ the laws.