POLLING IN MEMEL.

Wairarapa Age, 1 October 1935, Page 5

POLLING IN MEMEL.

CRITICISM OF INADEQUATE ARRANGEMENTS. EXPECTATION OF SERIOUS DELAY. RIVAL BILL-POSTERS EXCHANGE SHOTS. MEMEL, September 29. With the exception of an incident at Prokuls, where rival bill-posters exchanged shots, four being injured, the Diet elections are proceeding without incident, though everywhere the inadequacy of polling arrangements, coupled with the intricacy of the ballot papers, is sure to prevent the poll ending at 8 o’clock night. Unbroken queues are waiting everywhere to enter the booths. BELATED ACTION. VOTING METHOD AMENDED. FIGHT NEAR GERMAN FRONTIER. (Received Monday, 7.49 p.m.) LONDON, September 30. “Th® Times” Kovno correspondent says the Lithuanian Cabinet hurriedly met and amended the electorial law, enabling the voting to be concluded to-day. This action was taken because of the delays due to the cumbersome method of giving voters perforated lists containing the names of 187 candidates. The voters had to tear off the names of twenty-one favoured candidates, and this occupied, on an average, half an hour. In the case of old people the task took far longer. Many women were crushed in the struggle to reach the booths. Fighting broke out at night in a village near the German frontier. Three Lithuanians and two policemen were injured. SERIOUS CLASH. GERMAN VOTERS STORM BOOTH. POLICEMEN BADLY INJURED. (Received Monday, 10.45 p.m.) MEMEL, September 30. Voters, in desperation at the chaos of the polling, became involved in a serious clash in the frontier town of Jikmaipkai. German voters stormed the election committee room, smashed the booth, broke the urns containing the ballot papers and roughly handled police reinforcements. Six policemen were sent to hospital, one of whom is not expected to live. The crowd occupied The Railway Station and Post Office. Order is reported to have been restored, but the situation is critical, as it is feared the rebels may be aided by Prussians crossing the border.