MILITARY POMP

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1935, Page 7

MILITARY POMP

REVIVAL BY GERMANY GRIM SCENE AT POTSDAM NEW CONSCRIPTS PARADE FINANCES GROW WORSE GRAVE ANXIETY CAUSED By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Berlin, Nov. 7. Thousands of Germany’s first post-war conscripts assembled for the swearing-in ceremony at dawn to-day on the historic Potsdam parade ground, where the Kaiser used to inspect new recruits. The scene recalled the grim military spectacles of Imperial Germany. Young conscripts in grey greatcoats and shrapnel helmets resembled a wall of steel, and through the early morning mists guns boomed a salute as the new Nazi war flag was hoisted. A proclamation from Herr Hitler was read to the recruits, who were exhorted to be “as hard as iron and ready to sacrifice the last drop of blood for the Fatherland.” While the Nazis afe reviving the military pomp of pre-war days, the financial and economic situation is becoming worse. The heavy depreciation of the mark is reflected in unofficial foreign quotations and is causing the gravest anxiety. It is partly due to new laws excluding Jews from commerce and depriving them of the proceeds of the sale of businesses. Consequently currency smuggling is increasing, for the Jews fear the loss of whatever capital they possess if they do not smuggle it from the country. The Reichsbank is unable to buy marks offered for sale in foreign centres. The gravity of the economic crisis is driven home in the main street, where long butter and other queues recall the early days of Soviet Russia.