HINDENBURG RE-ELECTED

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 April 1932, Page 5

HINDENBURG RE-ELECTED

SECOND BALLOT SCENES NAZI-COMMUNIST RIOTS [BY GABLE-—PBESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] BERLIN, April 9. No one doubts that Sunday’s "Presidential ballot will result in the reelection of Marshal Von Hindenburg by an overwhelming majority. One forecast gives the Marshal nineteen million votes, and Herr Hitler 12,500,000. Although the result is a foregone conclusion, the size of Herr Hitler’s vote will profoundly affect the elections for the Prussian Diet to be held a fortnight hence. Herr Hitler hopes to secure a majority at the Prussian elections, and thus to dominate the principal German State. Such a Nazi success in Prussia would involve the resignation of the German Cabinet, and Hitler might, in the ensuing general election, control of the Reichstag. Reliable opinion is that a heavy defeat of Herr Hitler on Sunday is required to destroy this prospect.

THE • FIRST FIGURES. ’

(Recd. April 11, 1 p.m.) BERLIN, April 10.

! Progress voting at ten o’clock shows ‘ that Hindenburg received 18,526,100, ’Hitler 12,541,200, and Thaelmann : 3,486,000. ' POLICE KEPT BUSY (Rec. April 1, 1.30 p.m.) , J BERLIN, April 10. I The present indications are that Hindenburgh will be re-elected fairly comfortably, despite polling fewer votes, partly owing to the abstentions and also to the “Steel Helmets” plumping for Hitler, after the withdrawal of Duesterberg increasing Hitler’s total, which has swollen as the result of an intensive Nazi campaign. Thaelman will be a bad third, thousands of Communists thinking the polling a waste of time. It is estimated hteft seventy-five per cent, of the electors 1 voted. The usual Sunday atmosphere prevailed throughout the country, the only signs of election being the Red flags in workingclass districts, and armed police patrols. There were numerous faction fights, Nazis shooting a Communist dead during the night. Berlin partisans were all day long destroying election posters, and atl tempting to fire hoardings. The police were active intervening in Nazi-Com-munist scuffles, and preventing Communist demonstrations. They made three hundred arrest.s Police vigilence insured peace at Munich, Hitler’s headquarters, where the Nazis conducted a vigorous lastminute campaign. The authorities overlooking minor offences including showers of propaganda leaflets concentrated on preventing assemblies of Nazis “storm-troops” liable to produce rumours of a “putsch.’.’ A workman was killed in a street fight at Hamburg. Numbers were seriously injured at Hamm, Bruehl, Treves and Soldin. Many workers were arrested. The unofficial result of the polling 1 Q • —— Hindenburg Hitler 13,419,603 Thaelmann 3,705,898 SHOTS AT MINISTER. (Recd. April 11, 8 a.m.) BERLIN, April 10. Two well dressed men were noticed on the platform, as Herr Luther entrained for Basle, to attend the International Settlements Bank meeting. One drew a revolver and fired several shots, but only one hit Liither, slightly grazing his arm. He continued the journeyThe men were arrested, and admitted that they were formerly Nazis, and were dissatisfied with Germany’s financial policy.