TO RULE PRUSSIA

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 18, 21 July 1932, Page 11

TO RULE PRUSSIA

Prussia has faced lack of Government, acrimony, and feud. The election took place in an -atmosphere of kecnor interest than was shown at Iho Presidential poll, and tho Nazis, who went to the;>electors,, with nino seats in tho Diet, returned with seats numbering 102. The Government Coalition, which previously had hold v majority, with 230 of tho 422 soats in the Diet, lost 160 of them, but the Nazis, though tho strongest party, did not have a working majority.

This state of affairs resulted in dead--lock. Tho Nazis claimed "the right to govern," and made threats as to what would follow an attempt by. their opponents to "rob them of tho fruits of victory.", llcrr Brauii's Government duly resigned, but tho problem of choosing a new Premier was great. Tho balance of powdr was held by 57 Communists pledged not to participate 'in any alliance of parties. . When ,tha Diet opened in May tho Nazis marched, in headed by Karl Litzuianti,. a veteran war hero, and there was a pitchod battle between the Nazis and the Communists before tho sitting was many hours pld. At the end 'of May came the dismissal of Chancellor --Bnfening by the President of tho Reich, and the new leador, Herr yon Papen, made deLtormincd efforts to break the Prussian ; deadlock. Early .in Juno it was prodieted that if no working majority •could be obtained in the Diet he would do what has now been done—disregard tlm Constitution and appoint a Reich Commissioner to administer the. State. This tho Government denied at the time, but it admitted that the aim was for "stable Government."