CHURCH AND STATE

Southland Times, Issue 22055, 30 June 1933, Page 7

CHURCH AND STATE

DEVELOPMENTS IN GERMANY. LIPPE SYNOD DISSOLVED. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Berlin, June 28. The official announcement of Herr Hugenberg’s resignation was suddenly withdrawn. Herr Hitler is going to Neudeck to confer with President Hindenburg who, it is reported, wants to know who will succeed to the vacancy. The Government, acting against those Protestant churches who are not disposed to surrender to the Nazi German Christians, has dissolved the Lippe Synod and dismissed the Church Council. Ecclesiastical minorities are full of misgivings. Dr Goebels in a speech at Stuttgart advised the Centre Party to dissolve voluntarily if it wanted to avert action by the Government. There was no longer room for such a party. The Government would render service to the Catholic Church by causing the party to disappear. “Our aim,” he said, “is the creation of a homogeneous national socialist party.” Herr von Papen has arrived at Rome. No audience has yet been arranged. Herr Hugenberg, one of the greatest industrialists of Germany, has served in the Cabinet from its foundation, and his Nationalists formed a coalition with the Nazis. His position has been increasingly difficult for some weeks, since Hitler began to discriminate against the Nationalists. Recently, when Hugenberg was expected to resign, it was stated that he argued that his resignation would’ make the Enabling Act passed in the Reichstag on March 23 invalid, because the Act was limited to the duration of the Cabinet. The Nazis denied this contention, holding that the resignations of Ministers would not affect the powers of the Cabinet, which were held in Herr Hitler’s name. The Berlin correspondent of The Times said that Hugenberg had appealed to the President to support his claim for the fulfilment of solemn constitutional undertakings, and asked for a decision within 10 days. The Enabling Act was the key measure of Herr Hitler’s programme. By it, the Reichstag gave up its powers, and granted Herr Hitler freedom from interference for four years, subject only to the. intervention of the President. One article authorized the Chancellor to draw up laws which would take force the day after their promulgation. Another provided that Herr Hitler’s signature would suffice for the laws of the Reich instead of the President’s. Parliament was excluded from legislative work unless the Government invited its co-opera-tion.

MASS WEDDING FIFTY NAZI COUPLES. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 8.35 p.m.) Berlin, June 29. A mass Nazi wedding has been arranged at the Church of St. the Lazarus here on July 2. Fifty men in full Storm Troops’ uniform, will be married to 50 women wearing brown blouses and skirts to the accompaniment of Nazi brass bands and a parade of Storm Troops.