GERMAN ELECTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21250, 2 August 1932, Page 9

GERMAN ELECTIONS

DIVIDED STRENGTH / ■ NAZIS BIGGEST PARTY WO ABSOLUTE POWER GAINS BY COMMUNISTS VERY HEAVY VOTING to TeVTrr.-nh—Press Association—Copyright (Received August 1, 7.45 p.m.) BERLIN, August 1 Brilliant sunshine favoured the polling in the Herman erenoral election yesterday. The voting apparently was the heaviest on record. The day passed quietly in Berlin. in violent contrast to Saturday's many clashes." Perhaps this was because 20,000 police were on duty in Berlin alone. Practically all the counting of votes tvyis finished by midnight. Results were as follows: Votes. . Seats. Nazis . , . . 13.440.750 226 Socialists . * v. 7,752.100 128 Communists *. Centre - . • • 4,535.200 76 Nationalists . . 2,143,100 36 Bavarian People's . 1.079.800 18 ■German People's . . 428,700 7 German State . . 372,200 6 Christian Socialists 355.500 6 Economic . . . . 147,400 2 • A total of 612,974 votes went to ''freak" parties 'or were invalid. Ilerr Loebe, Herr Hugenberg and Ilerr Thaelmann were rejected. Well-informed' authorities believe that Herr Hitler's compromising connection with General von Schleicher has chocked his triumphant career. Dr. Bruoning Returned The relative success of the Communists was a surprise. They apparently won over many Socialists ' owing to the workers' disappointment at the mild behaviour of the displaced Prussian Cabineteers. Dr. Bruening, the former Chancellor, was returned at Dusseldorf, where the Socialists secured one seat, Nazis four, Communists three and Centre Party six. Herr Hitler announced that he would refuse to join any Coalition Government, which governed by decree. A political truce until August 8 has been declared and no political meetings of any kind will be allowed. It generally appears that the Nazi vote : in the cities has declined compared with the Prussian Diet election, but increased compared with' the 1930 Reichstag election. In the country districts the Nazis considerably improved their position. In working-class districts and towns, the Red Flag, with the hammer and sickle of the Communists, outnumbered other emblems. The Socialist Red Flag, with its three arrows, was also much in evidence. r The Socialist Vote The Socialists in many cases increased the votes recorded in the Prussian election. The Centre Party is about stationary, Nazi gains being at the expense of smaller parties, including some on the Right, who lost heavily. Earlier returns suggested a combined National and Nazi vote with a majority of less than five, scr that the election is & bitter disappointment to Herr Hitler, as the Centre Party holds the balance of power. Half the electors voted before one o'clock. Many sick were carried to the booths in stretchers. Herr von Papen, the Chancellor, voted in the morning at a tavern near the River Spree. The President, Marshal von Hindenburg, drove from his estate at NueEast Prussia, to record his vote at a Village school, where he was cheered by villagers. Marshal von Ludendorff did not vote, and he instructed his small following to boycott the election. COMPARATIVE RESULTS LITTLE NAZI ADVANCE POSSIBILITIES OF DEADLOCK (Received August 1, 8.45 p.m.) LONDON, August 1 The Berlin correspondent of the Times says in comparison with the average re- ' suits of the State elections, the result brought the Communists notable gains'and almost stopped the Nazi advance. The Communists more than recouped the total losses of the 1930 and the State elections. The Nazis, who advanced by leaps and bounds from 18.3 per cent of the total votes in 1930 to 35.7 per cent in the State elections, gained only 2 per cent. The combined Right Parties obtained only 45 per cent compared with 48 per cent in the Prussian election. Unless the Government is able to win ' the co-operation, or at least the toleration of the Centre and Bavarian People's Parties, or the Communists are suppressed, the 6ame deadlock will be reached as in the Prussian Diet.