THE H.B. TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1934 HITLER SUPREME.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 213, 22 August 1934, Page 6

THE H.B. TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1934 HITLER SUPREME.

It was, o£ course, a foregone conclusion that, the plebiscite taken in Germany on Sunday last would result in an overwhelming majority in favour of Herr Hitler’s proposal to unite in his own person the offices of both President and Chancellor of the Republic. Every good care had been taken, by a combination of promise and threat, to bring this end about. Under the circumstances, therefore, the only surprise lies in the quite substantial number who took their courage in both hands and voted “Nein,” to say nothing of those who sought to evade the issue either by staying away from the poll or by rendering their votes invalid. Taken together, these represented something like 16 per cent, of the full electorate, a not altogether negligible proportion, while it is, of course, quite impossible to sayhow many of those who actually voted “Ja” did so under fear of the consequences of doing otherwise. Leaving all these considerations aside, however, there can be no doubt, that, a vast majority of the German nation have gladly confirmed Herr Hitler in the virtually dictatorial position he has assumed.

It is not a matter of very great importance to the outside world what use Herr Hitler may make among his own people of the exceptional powers that, have thus been conferred upon him. Seemingly, he is not himself altogether satisfied with the majority, impressive and all as it is, that he lias secured, for in the flush of his newly won victory he has declared that “the fight will continue until the last German has been converted to Nazism.” This announcement may be taken as boding not entirely well for the seven million who did not rally to the poll for him on .Sunday, It, may perhaps be in their favour that the proselytizing methods he has hitherto pursued have aroused such widespread condemnation outside Germany that he will probably deem -it politic to modify them considerably. Tn any event, he still seems bent on bringing about what he culls unification of the, whole people under his autocratic rule, and this may well result in driving underground opposition that, would have been less dangerous if allowed some openair vent. That, however, as has been said is entirely his own business. What more closely affects the rest, of the world is the attitude he may mean to adopt in connection with international affairs. Tn this respect he has already evinced some better disposition towards conciliation. So far as concerns the perilous policy ol' forcing upon Austria some sort of union with Germany he would seem to have been effectively checkmated by the firm stand Signor Mussolini has taken up. We may thus reasonably expect him to abandon it, for tbe present at any rate. On 11m oilier hand. Ins differences with France on the question of disarmament are not like!) to be as easily disposed of.

However, even here perhaps we may find him, now that he lias made his place in bis own country absolutely assured, better inclined to moderate his demands and come to some reasonable understanding. He can scarcely but realise, too, that Germany’s economic, recovery must necessarily depend upon his cultivating more friendly and stable relations with the nations with which she seeks to trade, and for this reason also he may be hoped to give way a little. The reassembly of the Disarmament Conference proposed for next month will no doubt shed some light on the course he means to pursue.