HITLER AT MEMEL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 97, 24 March 1939, Page 7

HITLER AT MEMEL

SELF - GOVERNMENT ENDS

TREATY WITH LITHUANIA (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received March 24, 8.5 a.m. LONDON, March 23. Herr Hitler went by sea to Memel in order to avoid the distaste of traversing the Polish corridor. He landed at 9.30 a.m. and drove to the Theatre Square, which was lined with troops. A huge crowd of Germans cried “Heil.” The British United Press Memel correspondent understands the Deutschland will disembark three companies of marines as a permanent garrison. Punctually at 4 a.m. German units crossed the Queen Louise bridge. Hundreds of people cheered in every village and hoisted swastika flags. Troops entered Memel at 8.5 a.m. The autonomous Government ceased to function at midnight and Herr Himmler (Chief of the Secret Police) temporarily has taken over the administration. It is announced that the treaty between Germany and Lithuania for handing over the Memel territory to the Reich will be put into operation forthwith. The treaty contains four clauses as follow : (1) The Memel district is to be reunited with the Reich. (2) The Lithuanian army and police must immediately evacuate the territory. Other administrative questions resulting from the change of sovereignty are reserved for a special agreement. (3) A free port zone is to be granted to Lithuania. (4) A mutual agreement of non-aggression will be signed. “END OE REPARATIONS.” “Now we have substantially reached the end of our reparations,” declared Herr Hitler, addressing a crowd from a balcony in the main square. “I lead you back to the Homeland, which did not forget you. Thank you for your unswerving steadfastness. “A Germany has arisen which will not trust its fate to foreigners and will determine for itself, even though it might not please the outside world. We don’t want to harm anyone, but we will not tolerate harm to us. It is our oath that no other Power will ever break our new community, which arose from pain and need.” Another translation of Herr Hitler’s speech reads: “We have no intention of causing pain to the outside world, but must make good the pain they have caused us. I believe that we are now substantially at the end of this making good.” Berlin reports that the official version of Herr Hitler’s speech omits the reference to “reaching the end of our reparations.”