SAAR VOTING

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1935, Page 6

SAAR VOTING

r PROGRESSES quietly

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.)

(Received this day at 2 p.m.) LONDON, January 13

The * French Government have made preparations to receive forty thousand French Saarlanders, if necesary alter the plebiscite. Thousands have already taken French nationality. ‘Holland will not admit Saar refugees unless they are 'considered desirable foreigners. SAARBRUCKEN. Jan. 13. Perfect organisation characterised the plebiscite. The quiet orderliness of the polling and excellent discipline of the voters was remarkable, contrasting with the fantasic rumours baselessly circulated- A wide tour of the territory 'completely discounts* the tales of brawls and and shots, the most formidable missiles being snowballs, ‘and the only fighters being children. The woman from Shanghai, cabled earlier, duly voted. TiVides lunfons are confidently expecting a pro-Hitler result, a nd have declared a holiday for January 15, enabling the greatest celebrations for fifteen yea r s. Th o cost of the plebiscite is estimated at. £660,000.

People patiently waited in the slushy snow to exercise, the snfferage. w.hilo international troops except those detailed to guard and transport voting urns, philosophically remained in racksQueues 'throughout the Saar 'lengthened hourly with th c arrival on foot, passengers in ®1 sorts of vehicles, and* travellers, who were given a free passage in trains and postal vans. Fifty per cent had voted by noOn and ninety per cent by seven in the evening. Squads on the Dcutsch frontier equipwith axe s and spades, helped motoring voters by clearing snowdrifts from the roads. Others supplied information out-side-tfie booths some bore posters inscribed “Keep your mouths shut,’’ with the result thaft nobody was disfranchised for saying ‘‘Hcffl, Hitler” or giving the Nazi salute.

GERMAN news.

french interest

(Received this day at 1.15 p.m.) BERLIN, January 13

Unofficial estimates favour an 80 per cent pro-German vote in the Saai, whose return a majority would wel-

come. • Mild satisfaction, rather than frequent emotion is officially expected. Tire, press is enthusiastic, but despite years of intensive propaganda, the average citizens are apathetic. Only one tenth are wearing a special ■commemorative buttonhole. 'Only tlirte ner cent have their bouses bcflagged, though the streets are full of Storm Troopers, and Black Guard Guard soldiers. Wireless all clay sprayed Germany with a musical programme, interspersed with election news, W|hich purported to have come from Saarbrucken, but it was mainly from Frankfort. The “Times’ ” Saarbrucken correspondent says some booths recorded' one hundred per cent poll. Sir hundred booths, roughly one for every six hundred inhabitants have bee n provided in 23 electoral districts. PARIS, January 13.

Intense interest is displayed in the Plebiscite- in France, the newspapers publishing full accounts.