CHOICE MADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22009, 16 January 1935, Page 9

CHOICE MADE

RESULT OF POLL OFFICIAL FIGURES BETURN TO GERMANY NO COMMUNE OPPOSES MANY BLANK PAPERS / By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrisrht (Received January 15. 9.5 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. 15 The result of the Saar plebiscite is officially announced. The voters were called upon to decide whether they desired to return to Germany, become French, or remain under the League of 'Nations. The polling was as follows Votes For German rule . . 477,109 For League rule • . • 46,513 For French rule s . . . 2.124 Spoiled papers . . s . s 901 Blank papers . . . . 1,256 No commune voted against a return to G' srmanv". At 7.35 a.m. the returning officer began -co announce the results, district by district, from each of the 83 sections into which the Saar was divided for voting purposes. In Saarbrucken town the voting was as follows: —For Germany, 76,761; for the status quo, 10,413; for France, 286. COUNTING THE VOTES PILES OF KALLOT PAPERS BIGGEST FAVOUR GERMANY SAARBRUCKEN. Jan. 14 In a general atmosphere of good humoar, 350 international scrutineers, sitting in their shirt-sleeves in an overheated hall, began their all-night task of counting the plebiscite votes. Everyone who entered the hall was searched for arms. The gallery was crowded with journalists and cinematographers. Major-General J. E. S. Brind, commanding the international troops, and his staff, were present. It was possible to distinguish from the gallery, until instructions were given to turn the ballot papers face downward, how the poll was going. The piles of papers obviously for a return to Germany greatly exceeded those for the retention of the status quo, which, in turn, greatly exceeded those for the handing over of the territory to France. The Saarlanders themselves were barely interested in the counting, only 100 congregating outside the hall under the eyes of sentries. Press correspondents concurred in the view that the German Front had virtually swept the Saar. They estimated that 75 per cent of the votes were in favour of return to Germany. One English returning officer said: "The polling was far more orderly than at an English election." There is a possibility -that opponents of the Nazis will protest officially against what they describe as "the illegalities of the plebiscite." Herr Max Brawn, Socialist leader in the Saar, asserts that not a single condition of a free election was observed. He savs: "The workers will not stand these provocations. We are drifting toward civil war." Herr Pford, Communist leader, is taking the same line.

ELECTORS DEPRESSED harassing warnings LONDON. Jan. 14 Mr. G. Ward Price, in a message to the Daily Mail from Saarbrucken, says the voters were so harassed bv warnings a nd directions that the majority were depressed, as if they were undergoing a major operation, and they hardly dared speak in the queues. Saarbrucken's IiMG Midlers and 1060 -Schmidts had special booths in which to record their votes.