MONARCHY OR REPUBLIC?

Evening Star, Issue 18926, 28 April 1925, Page 5

MONARCHY OR REPUBLIC?

GERMANY'S DECISION HINDENBURG WINS ELECTION Praa Association—By Telegraph— CopyrightBERLIN, April 25. Field-Marshal Von Hindonburg has been elected. The public tension is apparently increasing as the results appear, and strong police p,.iuas are posted everywhere. The first three Berlin stations gave Dr Marx a 55 pei cent, majority, but later the eight combined Berlin districts showed that iiindenburg had been elected. The voting indicates that Von Hindenhurg led in Pomerania, East Prussia, and Bavaria. Dr Marx led in Berlin, tho Rhineland, and the Ruhr. TTif, official provisional figures show that 30,346,000 votes were polled as follows : Marshal Von Hindonburg ... 14,639,000 Dr Marx 13,753,000 Herr Thaelmann 1,932,000 Two persons were killed and others were injured in election riots near Karlsruhe. A Nationalist crowd. tried to storm the Town Hall at Katibor, in Silesia, and collided with the police. Many arrests were made. There was unprecedented excitmenb at Cologne, where there was heavy polling* Tho Hindonburg supporters were most active. There was a great turnover in the Rhineland, which was a stronghold t>i Dr Man.—Reuter. STRONG MONARCHIST FEELING A DECISIVE VICTORY. BERLIN, April 27. (Received April 23, at 9.30 a.m.) Hindenburg awaited the result of the tense, dramatic struggle at his country mansion. The scenes in Berlin developed into mass hysteria, when twenty-nine out of Germany’s thirty-five districts gave Hindenburg an unassailable majority of 9CT fiOO. Tho black, white, and red flag, the symbol of monarchism, fluttered from countless balconies and windows while the Republicans’ more beautiful black, red, and gold flag was scarcely sden. Hindenburg took the lead from the start and retained it, but bis early majority of over 1,000,000 dwindled until at one time the figures were almost- level. After that every return increased the Monarchist total.

An outstanding feature was Hinclenburg's success in (he industrial districts. The Catholics throughout Germany voted solidly for Dr Marx.—Sydney ‘ Sun ’ Cable. FINAL RETURNS. BERLIN, April 27. (Received April 28, at 9.50 a.m.) The unofficial final figures are: Hindeuburg 14,639,000 Marx 13,740,000 Thaelmann ... ... ... 1,789,000 —Reuter. ‘ I) HUTCH,'LAND ÜBER ALL MS.’ BERLIN, April 27. A turnover of only 6 per cent. of votes compared with the first ballot on March 23 was required to give llindenburg the victory. Excited crowds massed at hundreds of spots in the city to hear the results. The polling closed at 6 o’clock ; the first results were known at 8 o'clock. There was immense cheering when the first figures published showed that llindenburg was the victor. In the. Potsdam,district men and women waved the old Monarchist colors and sang ‘ Deutschland Über Ailes,’ standing bareheaded, despite the falling rain. There ■were further cheers when the later figures disclosed farther gains for llindenburg, even in the working districts of Berlin. Any successes achieved by Dr Marx were received with hooting, cat calls, and groans. There were numerous clashes between the rival electioneering factions. It is estimated that 85 per cent, of the electors voted.—A. and N.Z. Cable. TRADITION OF FREDERICK THE GREAT. LONDON, April 26. The restoration of the Monarchy in Germany is only a question of time (writes General Morgan, in an article in the ‘Weekly Dispatch'). General Morgan was a member of the Allied .Mission of Military Control in Germany from 1919 to 1923. Ho says that everything that has happened in Germany in the past five years points in this direction. “The change of public temper in Germany respecting' the Monarchy,” ho states, “is astonishing. When 1 first went to Germany in 1919 the Monarchy seemed to bo gone for ever. There were none so poor as to do it reverence. Within tweuty-four hours twenty-two thrones and eceptres tumbled in the dust. Never was a Republican movement more complete. Never was a dynastic capitulation more abject. Kings, grand dukes, dukes, serene highnesses bolted for cover like rabbits. They stole down the back stairs of palaces at night and vanished across the frontier. No voice was raised in favor of these * vanishing pomps, once so dear to the German. No hand was lifted to prop the fallen thrones. “ How has the prestige of the Hohenzollerns been revived '! The answer is: Tradition, aided by the cunning of the Nationalist parties. The policy of Hohenzollern tradition is far stronger than any individual member of the dynasty. The Germans forget the ex-Kaiser’s disastrous record; they remember Frederick tho Great. Soon after the Kaiser's debacle the Nationalists used every propagandist method—books, plays, posters, brochures —to quicken dormant memories of the king who made Prussia great. The cult of Frederick grew up. The Nationalists’ most effective electioneering poster was a portrait of Frederick asking what has become of ‘My Prussia.’ “If Yon llindenburg is elected the restoration of tho Monarchy will certainly follow. If he is defeated, which is probable ,the Nationalists will have nailed their colors to tho mast. The defeat of the Republicans in this momentous election will mean irretrievable defeat; to tho Monarchists it will bo only a check,”—Sydpey ‘Sun’ Cable, FEELING IN LONDON. LONDON, April 27. Though most of the papers managed to get the announcement of Von Hindenburg’s election into the stop-press column, there has not yet been time for considered comment beyond headlines expressing astonishment at tho result. After the initial results had come to hand it was recognised that the many defections from the Democrats would prove the determining factor in Hindenburg’s i election. —Reuter. MR LLOYD GEORGE’S COMMENTS. LONDON, April 27. (Received April 28, at 11.25 a.m.) Mr Lloyd George stalest “ France most stupidly has driven the army into its present mood. The election shows a now spirit, which is the result of M. Poincare’s Nationalist policy. I do not believe that Hindeuburg will do anything rash. He will l?e a steady old man. Further, M. Painleve and M. Briand, who are the ablest politicians in France, will not countenance a policy of pinpricks against Germany!”—Sydney ‘Sun’ Cable.

REACTION ON MONEY MARKET. LONDON, April 27. (Received April 28, at 10 a.m.l As the result of tho Presidential election the 7 per cent. German loan,.which was opened in London at 98, fell to 9JL about 2 points lower fhan it was on Friday.—Reuter. EARLIER MESSAGES. FEELING RUNS HIGH. . CHARGE AND COUNTER-CHARGE. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. BERLIN, April 24. With the approach of tho Presidential election on Sunday the campaign is reaching its height. ‘The Republican papers are overflowing with telegrams from New York emphasising the disastrous effects of Marshal "Von Hindenburg’s candidature on the financial relations between American banking circles and Germany. The Monarchist Press retorts with immense headlines across the page underlined with red ink : “ American finance is on tho side of Hindenburg.” Ilindenburg’s supporters are making a bold bid for the women’s votes A prominent writer is arguing that Dr Marx will get Germany into the League of Nations and involve' Germany in the League’s wars. Eeichs bloc writers and speakers also declare that Dr Marx -represents only party feeling and class warfare, whereas Hindenburg is proclaimed as the man whom the whole nation trusts. The Republicans retort that Hindenburg is a militarist with no knowledge of statesmanship, and that he would _ue a mere puppet in the hands of those aiming at the restoration of the Hohenzollerns. His election would be a set-back to Germany in the affairs of the world. Hindenburg’s speech was broadcasted in London through the enterprise of tho * Daily Express.’ The ‘Daily Telegraph’s’ Berlin correspondent sa-vs that no political vote in Germany will be more difficult to predict than that to be. taken to-morrow. The struggle is between Dr Marx, a man with a record, and Hindenburg, an idol with a legend. If the polling corresponds closely with that of March 29, Dr Marx should receive, thirteen and a-qnarter million voles and Hindenburg eleven and a-half millions; but such consistency cannot be expected. Many Socialists may _ prefer trips to the country to see the fruit blossom, which is now in full glory. The industrialists have many reasons for not wanting Hindenburg. The main issue of the election is the approval of the outside world. Never before have the views of the foreign Press been so voluminously quoted. ” The. vital importance of the election may be judged by the. fact that the President is Cominandor-in-Chief of the armv and navy, and, in the opinion of the ‘foremost lawyers, could, under clause 48 of the Constitution, destroy the present-structure of Germany and restore the ex-Kaiser without trespassing beyond his legal rights—A, and N.Z. Cable. THE RIVAL CANDIDATES. BERLIN, April 25. -\n extraordinarily virulent Presidential campaign, which is likely to produce tho closest voting at to-morrow’s poll, was concluded with broadcasted speeches by Dr Marx and .Marshal Von Hindenburg. The former emphasised the need for democracy and tho peaceful development of Europe. ..... The Field-Marshal, who has taken little personal part in the campaign, strongly appealed to the Nationalist sentiment. He promised to recognise that Germany lost tho war and must bear the consequences, but the people must not remain slaves for ever. Tho Monarchist and Republican flags are equally evident in Benin. Fifty excited meetings were held in the capital yesterday. Herr Ebert, sou of the ex'Presideii't, had the temerity to call out “Loim jive the Republic” at a Monarchist meeting,'and was promptly arrested by the police, who inflicted the usual truncheoning before releasing him—Reuter.