ACUTE CRISIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22173, 29 July 1935, Page 9

ACUTE CRISIS

GERMAN CHURCHES f OPPOSITION TO NAZIS v animosity increasing . SERINES MUTILATED CATHOLICS AROUSED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 28. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. July 27 A special correspondent of the Manchester, Guardian in Berlin says " the German religious crisis has reached ,an intensity unparalleled even in the days of kultur kampf. Members of the Hitler Youth organisation do not dare to parade in many ( of the Roman Catholic villages, and the pavements are J deserted whenever a procession is held in large towns in the Rhineland ; and Bavaria. Herr Hauer, leader of the NeoPagans. on visiting Munster to conduct | a monster meeting, was greeted by large crowds of Catholics and Protestants singing hymns, who escorted him to the meeting! There they sang hymns con- ] tinuously. drowning Herr Hauer's ! speech. The Catholic bishop was held to be responsible and Black Shirts arrived at his palace to arrest him. Thereupon he donned full canonical robes. As it was impossible to take the bishop thus j dressed to a concentration camp, the Nazis retired discomfited. Attendances at Catholic and Protestant churches are increasing and vigorous anti-Nazis attract enormous congregations. Neo-Pagans, however, i are increasing their membership among young people Another message from Berlin states that religious animosity is increasing in j Westphalia. Wayside shrines and statues i have been mutilated and this has j aroused intense Catholic feeling. The : Nazi press blames Catholic agents pro- j vooatenr among the political Catholics, j Following upon the ban on the wear- | ing of uniforms Nazis attacked the ; members of a Catholic patrol who were ; attending a funeral, stripped off their j uniforms and imprisoned three who resisted. The Governor of Lower Bavaria has ordered civil servants to remove their children from Catholic schools.. Several j Catholic newspapers have been sup- ; pressed. Dr. Ley, speaking at Ratissbon, de- ' dared: "The Nazi Party cla.ims the soul of every German, and Catholicism ; and Protestantism do not matter." STEEL HELMETS DISSOLUTION PROCESS NERVOUS TENSION GROWING (Received July 25. 6.35 p.m.) ; ■ LONDON. July 27 A message from Berlin says it is officially announced that quantities of 1 arms and ammunition have been seized j in the homes at Mecklenburg of mem- j bers of the Steel Helmet organisation. ; The Daily Telegraph's Berlin cor- 1 respondent, states that following similar i bans elsewhere in Germany the Nazi j authorities have dissolved the East Prus- | (dan Steel Helmets and confiscated their property. The secret police also have proscribed the wearing of uniforms and badges, under a penalty of imprisonment, by Church and Youth associations, indulgence in sports, organised ' marching and other group activities. The leader of the Hitler Youth organisation in Franconia has demanded that Jews be banned from hostels in that duchy. He says Germans cannot be asked to sleep under the ssime roofs • as aliens. The nervous tension which these and similar measures are causing is revealed by the statement that the Leipzig police are warning persons against disseminating rumours to the effect that prominent Nazis have been arrested. The authorities also are worried over | the rapid • rise in the cost cf living, i Numerous butcherE have been arrested j for profiteering and other traders have ; been warned that the raising of prices j ■•rill lead to imprisonment.