GERMANY’S ANSWER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 232, 17 September 1935, Page 9

GERMANY’S ANSWER

To Bolshevism and Jewry

STORM TROOPS AND GUARDS Hitler Addresses the Reichstag By Telegraph—Press Assn—Copyright. NUREMBERG, Sept. 16. Sixty-five thousand Storm Troops and Black Guards, 50,000 Brown Shirts and 1000 sports flyers paraded in the presence of 100,000 spectators to heat Herr Hitler tell them that they were Germany’s answer to the menace of Bolshevism and Jewry. A march-past followed, after which the Kulturvereinhaus, elaborately decorated and fully equipped with searchlights and megaphones, was the scene of the first meeting of the Reichstag at Nuremberg for centuries.

A storm of cheers greeted Herr Hitler as he mounted the platform at U. 5 p.in. and extolled, in the course of a quarter-of-an-hour’s speech, the unparalleled unity of the German people. He declared that Germany’s future course would be dictated solely by her all-pervading love of peace, because her army was only to defend her freedom, not to deprive other nations of theirs.

Nevertheless, Germany must attend to the plight of the oppressed inhabitants of Memel, which Lithuania stole and had retained despite the representation of foreign Powers. He appealed to the League to act in this matter before it was too late.

The Fuhrer referred to the American disavowal of Magistrate Brodsky’s description of the Swastika as a pirate flag, and added that the incident justified the Nazi protest. Germany, he said, would endeavour to create a basis for tolerable relations between Germans and Jews, re-examin-ing the situation if the agitation continued.

Herr Hitler then asked the Reichstag to pass three laws, which General Goering read.

The first recognised Germany’s debt to Nazism by ordaining that the Swastika should be the country’s national and commercial flag, though the black, white and red remain the Reich’s colours. Herr Hitler is determined later to design a war flag and army and navyflags. The second law defined the conditions of citizenship, which is based on loyal service and is confined to those of German or kindred blood.

The third law, “for the protection of German blood and honour,’’ forbids Jewish-German marriages or extra marital intercourse between Germans and Jews. It prohibits Jews employing German female domestics under 45 years of age and forbids Jews hoisting the German flag, though they may display the Jewish colours. The penalties are fines or penal servitude. The Reichstag passed all the laws. HOW MEMEL WAS STOLEN Hitler’s Claim for Return NUREMBERG, Sept. 16. In his speech at the opening of the Reichstag, Herr Hitler, after saying that Germany must attend to the plight of the oppressed inhabitants of Memel, said that years after the war had finished Memel was stolen from Germany and the theft legalised by the League. German inhabitants of Memel had been illegally maltreated in a worse manner than criminals, despite ■ the 'Safeguards of agreements. “Their only crime is that they are Germans and wish to remain Germans,’’ said Herr Hitler. “The Reich Government watches the situation attentively and bitterly. Representations by responsible Powers have been formal and ineffective. It Would be praiseworthy for the League to make effective Memel’s autonomy before events take a turn which will be regretted by all. “The preparations for the elections are an insult to justice. Germany doos not make an impossible claim when sho demands that Lithuania bo held to the fulfilment of her obligations- ” LITHUANIAN FEARS KOVNO, Sept. 16. Herr Hitler’s attack on Lithuania is considered as a threat endangering the peace of eastern Europe. The government intends to ask the signatory Powers to the Memel Statute to warn Germany. It is emphasised that the Memel elections are conducted legally under the eyes of representatives of the Powers. I The independence of tho Lithuanian i Republic w declared in February, j 1918, including the Memel Territory. ! Under the Treaty of Versailles Geri many renounced sovereignty over I Memel and tjie territory was governed in the name of the Allies until 1923, when the Lithuanians invaded it. Sovereignty was transferred to Lithuania in 1924 and ratified in 1925. The total area is 945 square miles, and the population is about 150,000.