GERMAN ELECTIONS

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1928, Page 5

GERMAN ELECTIONS

4,500 CANDIDATES Nationalist Defeat (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, May 20. “The Times’s” Berlin correspondent says. Continuous downpour during the polling hours damped all external manifestation of political excitement of to-day’s elections. The streets were drenched and empty, except for tilth* knots of party supporters, with limp placards. Tlie voters mostly adjourned to the beer shops. The display of flags provided the only possible trend of political feeling. There was a sprinkling of the old Monarchist colour's in the better class districts, and the Red Flag was prominent in the poorer quarters, but th” Republican flag predominated nearly everywhere. BERLIN. May 20. A novel experiment is being tried at Berlin, w her-• distinctive voting papers are issuing to men and women, so as to see what proportions of the sexes vote. Some experts think that only fifty per cent will vote to-day. There are thirty-one parties and 4,500 candidates, four hundred being women. Nobody expects a transference of votes sufficient materially to alter the political situation. It is certain that no- party will have a majority and more coalitions are inevitable. In any case the continuance of the Streseman policy is regarded as assured. There is no whisper of Kaiserism. THE NEW VOTERS. BERLIN, Ma p 20. It is mterresting to note that two million new voters have sprung up since the .1924 flections, with no knowledge of pre-war Germany, and they are unable to contrast the Rm publican with the Monarehial conditions. HEAVY POLLING IN CAPITAL. BERLTN, May 20. It is estimated that eighty per cent of the electors have voted in Berlin, and there has been h'avy polling elsewhere. Tlio retuois will be estimated tomorrow. The earliest indications are that the socialists and Communists have strengthened their hold in Berlin proper. Potsdam is firmly nationalist. Ono hundred arrests were made there. Berlin Results SOCIALIST AND COMMUNIST GAINS. (Times Cable.) T.ONDON, May 21. The latest election returns from Bcr lin indicate that the Nationalists and f Lt* Geimian People's Party are losing there. Tin* former are losing heavily The Socialists and Communists ar making considerably gains there. Verdict of Electors PRONOUNCED SOCIALIST VICTORY | COMMUNISTS GAIN GREATLY. ■ (R'-ceived May 21 at 7.10 p.m.) BERLIN. May 20. An unofficial forecast of the consti tut ion of the new Reichstag givc s the position as follows:— Socialists 100 Nationalists 70 Centre Party GO I Communists 58 People’s Party 54 | Democrats 25 Economic Party 23 Fascists 1G Bavarian People’s Party 19 Other Parlies 6

The Nationalists have lost heavily in the big cities, the Socialists and the Communists gaining about 15 per cent, compared with last elections, at the expense of the Nationalists.

A SOCIALIST TRIUMPH. (Received Mav 21 at 11.10 p.m.) ’BERLIN, May 21. Assuming that the predictions, as to the distribution of the surplus votes arc fulfilled, -the state of parties will be as follows: — Socialists, 150 seats, a gai nof 19 seats. Nationalists, 72 seats, a ot 39 seats. Centreists, 60 seats, a loss of nine People’s Party, 52 seats, a loss of seven seats. Bavarian People’s Party, 16 seats, a loss of three seats. Economic Parly, 33 seats, a gain ot six seats. Fascists, 13 seals, a loss of one seat. The Socialists polled over nine mil lion votes, compared with the Nation-ali-ts 4.344,000 votes. The Centreists polled 3,612,000 votes; Hi' 1 People’s Party 3,094,000; the Communists 3,080,000. STRESEMANN DEFEATED. BERLIN, May 21. Dr Stresemann (Foreign Minister) has actually been defeated in Bavaria, he polling only 7,600 votes, instead of the necessary 60,000. He will be elected on the parties’ national list. The “Allgemine Zeitung” points out that the Socialists’ triumph is considerably diminished by their failure to crush the Communists.

Ex-Kaiser’s Son

declares for labour.

BERLIN, May 20 There was a sensation at Potsdam, when the ex-Kaiser’s fourth son, appeared on the platform to speak on behalf of the Labour Party. He assured the audience of his own democratic principles. He added that the dynasty to which he belonged had made ths fatal mistake of holdTng aloof from, the masses. Had his father not committed that blunder he might still be ruling. One was killed and numerous pcrson s were injured as the result of a fight between the National Socialists and Fascists, wherein stones, sticks and beer mugs were the weapons. The police were temporarily powerless. It 'was strange that the outbreak should there occurred on the eve of the poll, after a campaign unprecedently quiet. 1 A visit to the Communist headquarterg for the pprnpsn of inspecting el-

ection propaganda revealed that the strength of the party lies in organisation. The interior resembles a Government' office in the more modern capitals with labryinthine tiled and distempered corridors, full of hurrying officials. There were numbered and ticketed doors from which discreet preoccupied individuals conduct busi- ’ ness. This powerful organisation is centred in Berlin, but embraces the whole industrial area of western GerJ many. The Communists give startling evidence of the resources at their dis-, ’ posal. One can only speculate as to .where the monetary support is drawn from. Picked “Red Front fighters’ to-day attended most polling stations.