GERMAN ELECTION

Gisborne Times, Volume LX, Issue 9798, 7 May 1924, Page 5

GERMAN ELECTION

POSITION OF PASTIES. GERMAN NATIONAL.TST3 MAKE .BIG GAINS. COMMUNISTS SCORE HEAVILY, REPARATIONS POSITION UNCERTAIN.

Uruteci Picks AsKocin turn—Copyright BERLIN, May 5. Provisional final results of the elections give the - following figures:—

Socialists 99 Communists 09 Democrats 25 Centre Party 01 Bavarian Peoples’ Party 10 Gorman Peop.es’ Party •• 48 German Nationals 93 Extreme Nationals 28 Hanoverians 5 Other Parties 19

■, Those elected include Prince Bismarck, Count Westarp. Ludendorif, Dornburg, lid filer ding, Marx, Wirth, Stresemann, and Von Tirpitz. Seventy-hve per cent oi Lfie electors voted. v *

The results of the elections already hate made it clear that the extreme Nationalists have in no wise done as well as they expected. They must lie content to take a back seat in the new Reichstag. Even m an extreme Nationalist stronghold like Munich a large number of votes went to German Nationalists. It is significant that the extreme Nationalists have not gained a single seat in occupied territory. On the other hand, the German Nationals, of whom the late Kedferieh was leader, and who with the Monarchist reactionaries were opponents of the experts’ plans, have done extremely well, and will be the second strongest party in the Reichstag, with, about 90 seats, compared with 07 previously. The Communists have done better than was expected, having nearly <6O seats, compared with 15 previously. They scored heavily in parts of Berlin and the big industrial towns in Saxony and Thuringia. Seemingly practically every former Independent Socialist has gone over to Communism .

The German People’s Party, led by Stresemann, has done badly, and is likely to lose seats to the Nationalists.

Hie Catholic Centre Party and Democrats will have about 60 and -10 seats respectively, as before No important changes are expected in the other groups. The position in the'new Reichstag is interesting, hut complicated. Certainly the majority will favor acceptance iof the experts’ reports but a two-ihirds majority is necessary for the change in the constitution involved. Acceptance of the experts’ reports is impossible without the support of the Nationalists. If they remain irreconcilable opponents of the reports, which is doubtful, there will he no eh"nee of the Reichstag adopting the reports. and evil clays will again fall noon Germany.

LONDON VIEWS. EXPERTS’ REPORT WILL NOT BE AFFECTED. (Received Mav 6, 10.15 p.m.) 'LONDON. May 5. Responsible opinion in London that the result of the German election will not materially affect the exports’ report. It is expected the Nationalists will support the necessary legislation in collection therewith.—Renter.

SOCIALISTS WILL FORM GOVERNMENT. REVERSION TO OLD COALITION LIKELY. (Received Mav 6, 10.15 p.m.) ' BERLIN, May o. The Socialists remain the largest party and undoubtedly will he called to form a government, which, however, will only he possible if the Socialists obtain the support of the Democrats, Centrists and German People’s Party but, since the foregoing favors carrying out the experts’ report, it is practically certain the new government will ho a reversion to the old big coalition which with about 2-31 supporters, will be opposed by about 216 German Nationals, Communists, Extreme Nationals and minor parties.—Reuter.