MAJORITY EVERYWHERE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1935, Page 7

MAJORITY EVERYWHERE

RETURNS FROM DISTRICTS CHARGES OF ILLEGALITY TERRORIST BACKGROUND By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 11.30 p.m. London, Jan. 15. The voting figures are now being announced district z by district in each of the 83 sections into which the Saar was divided for voting purposes. No commune voted against return to Germany. Details of the voting in the town of Saarbrucken were: —For Germany, 76,761; for status quo, 10,413; for France, 286. It is certain that anti-Nazis will protest officially against what they describe as illegalities of the plebiscite. Herr Brava, the Socialist leader, says: "Not a single condition of a free election was observed. Workers will not stand these provocations. We are drifting towards civil war.” Herr Pfordt, a Communist leader, protested on the same lines. The Central News’ Saarbrucken correspondent says Herr Max Braun in a special interview said: “I shall appeal to the League of Nations to declare the poll null and void on the ground that though it was taken by neutral officials with scrupulous fairness a background of terrorism made a free and uninfluenced vote impossible. Mr. Knox asked me to keep my people off the streets to-day and I promised to do so. We shall stay indoors but if we are attacked we shall shoot from the windows.” The Socialist leader Herr Braun declared: “A German Front reign of terror is likely within 48 hours.” Mr. Geoffrey Knox, chairman of the Saar Governing Commission, has® been attacked by an official German Agency at Berlin for neglecting his supervisory duties and for not preventing disaffection among the Saar police. The charge is based on an alleged plot organised by so-called emigrant police. They are antiNazis, Communists and others expelled from Germany who secured entry to the force. PLAN TO SEIZE POWER. The agency says Herr Macht’s squad of 120 men planned under the leadership of Constable Grumbach to seize power by force. Constable Grumbach was suspended a few days ago and disappeared. Major Hennessy on Monday searched the barracks, disarmed 69 men and confiscated the weapons. He addressed the force secretly at midnight. The agency affirms that Mr. Knox cannot be acquitted of blame. It reports that six police and a woman friend of Herr Macht have been arrested in connection with the plot. The German Front is already prepared to celebrate an overwhelming majority, says the Times’ Saarbrucken correspon- ■ dent. Many shop windows display an enormous picture of Herr Hitler, surrounded by garlands. I lagstaffs are erected everywhere for an orgy of Nazi bunting. Crudely coloured picture postcards are being sold celebrating the “Day of Liberation,” and pamphlets describing “Sixteen years of foreign rule.” Although the French will not permit a “panic flight” from the Saar 5000 Saarlanders who are in danger of Nazi reprisals will automatically be granted visas. Other requests to be allowed to enter France are being examined individually. The League Council in an appeal issued to the Saar population to preserve calmness'and dignity specially emphasised that this attitude should be maintained not only during but after the voting. The population was urged to wait confidently, for the Council would make with all speed the decisions that follow the voting. The Daily Mail’s correspondent, Mr. Ward Price, writing from Saarbrucken, says: “The voters were so harassed by -warnings and directions that the majority were as depressed as if undergoing a major operation and dared hardly speak in the queues.” The French Minister of the Interior calculates that 53,000 Saar citizens , will attempt to cross the frontier into Lorraine. An inquiry is being made in the towns of northern France how the refugees can be distributed. Thus Roubaix is prepared to receive 5000 refugees and others will be housed temporarily in other towns.