GERMAN ELECTIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1009, 7 May 1924, Page 6

GERMAN ELECTIONS

PEOPLE'S PARTY DOES BADLY. '- REICHSTAG POSITION INTERESTING. (By Electric Telegraph—Coypright.) Received May 6. 1.15 p.m. BERLIN, May 5 The results of the elections have already made it clear that the extreme Nationalists have in no wise done as well as they expected and they must bo content to take a back seat in the new Reichstag. Even, in an extreme Nationalist stronghold . like Munich a largo number of votes went to German Nationals. • ' It is significant that the extreme Nationalists have not gained a single seat in the occupied territory; on the other hand the Go-man Nationals, of whom the lute Dr. Hcllfierich was tho leudcr, and who with the Monarchist reactionaries were the opponents of the experts' plans, have done extremely well and will be the second strongest party in the Reichstag, with about 90 seats, compared with 67 previously. The Communists have done better than was expected, haying- nearly 60 seats compared with 15 previously. They scored heavily in parts of Berlin and in the big industrial towns in Saxony and Thuringia. Seemingly, practically every former Independent Socialist has gone over to Communism. The German People's Party, led by Herr Stresseman, has done badly and is likely to lose seats to the Nationalists. The Catholic Centre Party and the Democrats will have about 60 and 40 seats respectively as before. No important changes arc expected in the otlher groups. The position in tho new Reichstag is interesting, but complicated. Certainly the majority will favour the acceptance of the experts' reports, but the two-thirds majority necessary for the change in the constitution involved in the acceptance of tho experts' plan,' is impossible without the support of tho Nationalists. If they remain irreconcilable opponents of the reports, which is doubtful, there will be no chance of the Reichstag adopting the reports and evil days will again fall upon Germany.—Renter.