DANZIG NAZIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 22

DANZIG NAZIS

GERMANY'S SUPPORT

INCORPORATION AIM

The situation in the Free City of Danzig is getting steadily worse. What is happening there is nothing less than systematic and successful intervention by Germany. The Danzig Nazis are instruments of German policy and could not defy the League of Nations if they were not- sure of German support. The authority of the League itself has ceased to exist in the Free City. The last High Commissioner. Mr. Scan Lester, was simply ignored and sometimes boycotted. Persons appealing to him' or trying to address petitions to the League were arrested, writes the diplomatic correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian." The constitutional rights guaranteed by the League of Nations no longer exist. Since June last year it has been impossible for the non-Nazi newspapers —the Socialist "Danziger Volksstimme," the Catholic "Danziger Volkszeitung," and Conservative (Nationalist) "National Zeitung," and the Jewish "Echo" —to appear. PARTIES SUPPRESSED. The strongest non-Nazi party, the Social-Democrats, were disbanded by the police on-October 14. The reason given was that arms were found in the possession of. three members of the party executive, but the existence of these arms was an invention of the police. Thereupon all Socialist workmen's clubs, societies, associations were disbanded. These repressive measures were confirmed by the Danzig Senate on December 22. The. decree issued by the Senate on June 16 made it impossible for the Socialists to take legal action in defence of rights guaranteed by the League of Nations. At present the propaganda of the Danzig Nazis is being concentrated on the Roman Catholic Centre, which is being accused, altogether falsely, of working with the. Communists. Several of its members have been arrested. The suppression of the whole party seems only a matter of time. The Conservatives are being hard pressed. Their leader, Dr. Blavier. has been in prison for three months. In Danzig the form of imprisonment known as "preventive arrest" is the equivalent of detention in a concentration camp in Germany. Over 100 Danzigers are now under "preventive arrest." Amongst them are several members of the Danzig Parliament, who have not been saved by the immunity to , which they . are entitled under the, Constitution. There has been some bad maltreatment of prisoners. On December 6 a prisoner named Malinowski died of the effects of the maltreatment. A SUBMARINE BASE. • The leading Nazi in Danzig is Herr Forster, a district leader, who enjoys the confidence of Herr Hitler. The principal aims of his—or, rather. HenHitler's—policy in Danzig are to suppress the Opposition altogether, as in Germany, and to prepare the way for the reincorporation of Danzig in the Reich. These aims are well on the way tb being achieved. The Danzig Nazis, who now have almost unchallenged, though unconstitutional, control over the Free City, are really a branch of the German Nazis. The Danzig 'political police are subordinated to the Berlin Gestapo (secret police). The Danzig uniformed police are armed on the model of German regular infantry. Danzig now has its own flying corps,with 18 military aeroplanes, though it masquerades as a private organisation. Danzigers, when they come of military age, are conscripted for the German army. Those who refuse to join the | colours are deprived of their labour permits or of the dole or of parish relief or are not allowed to qualify for various kinds of employment. A wharf for submarines is now being built in the port of Danzig.