Germany Polls

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 92, 30 March 1936, Page 7

Germany Polls

NOISY PROPAGANDA Zeppelin Loud-Speakers Blare “Vote for Hitler” ELECTION SPECTACLE (By Telegraph—Press Assn., Copyright.) (Received 30, 10.35 a.m.) BERLIN, March 29. Herr Hitler and Dr. Goebbels have returned from Cologne. Both voted early. The blare of brass bands, the tramp of Brown Shirts and Black Guards and the rattle of long strings of lorries packed with youngsters of tho Labour Front, Hitler Youtn and other organisations resounded through Berlin streets early this morning, the occupants of the lorries waving flags and shouting in order to wake up slothful citizens. Brown-shirted saiidwichmen stood outside the booths carrying boards on which was the slogan: "My vote is my thanks to the Fuhrer.” Booths at railway stations will remain open until midnight. The zeppelins Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelin again issued propaganda over the Rhineland, flying low and blaring the message "Vote for Hitler” from loud-speakers. Reports state that all Germany is voting early. Many villages announced that all the inhabitants had voted by 11.30 a.m. All differences were forgotfen to-day; for instance, the reverend mother of a convent at Kaldassen asked for a poll-ing-station within the conveut walls so that every nun could vote for HenHitler. The inhabitants of some villages formed up and marched in a body to the poll. Trains bringing exiles from abroad were specially welcomed. Twenty Germans working at Croydon aerodrome flew to Cologne in order to vote. The whole of the German Embassy staff at Paris flew to Cologne to vote.

HUGE PRO-HITLER POLL Nearly 100 Per Cent. Say “Yes” GERMANY JUBILANT (Received 30, 1.50 p.m.) BERLIN, March 29. The result of the elections, a foregone conclusion, was hailed throughout Germany with jubilation, the pro-Hitler poll being nearly 100 per cent., compared with 88.1 per cent, of affirmatives when 95 per cent, of the electorate polled in the 1934 plebiscite. Complete calm marked the voting, which was conducted with correctness, orderliness and dignity despite the fact that it was the first for many years in which the sale of beer and spirits had been permitted. Many of the pollingbooths were situated in hotels and beer-gardens. Several Communists and Socialists at Frankfurt were arrested for inserting anti-Hitler pamphlets in private letterboxes The voting was practically completed by 4 p.m. The most prompt community was Wiebelsdorf, Thuringia, whose 54 adults had all voted for Herr Hitler at 9.40 a.m. Many districts equalled this percentage.