Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-21
2,500,O00 More "Yeas" Cast
Than in Initiative Shows
Drift to RadicaIism.
INJUNCTION OF BISHOPS
IGNORED BY CATHOLICS
Orders of Center Party Also Fail
to Hold Members-Berlin
Favored Confiscation.
BY the Associated Prese.


BERLIN, June 21.-The vast land
Wilhelm Hohenzollern and other for
mer German rulers are safe from con-
flscation. A national referendum to
decide whether the properties should
he appropriated by the state failed to
bring out an Affirmative vote of the
half Of the eligible electors. which
was necessary under the law.
1t would have required an affirma-
tive vote Of about 10000 900 to have
taken away the holdings of the for,
mer ruling houses. The affirmative
vote was 14.Ss9.7o3 and the negative
vote 542.31l. Fully 60 per cent Of
the eligible voters remained away
from the polls, while IS per cent in
dorsed unconditional conflscation.
More than 100000 ballots were de,
clared defective. *-..|. 49,
Bavaria and other nationalist strong.
holds rejected the confiscAtion pro
posal through abstaining from voting.
In the Industrial centers such as the
Ruhr and in Saxony the proposal was
given its chief support.
Hanover Opposes Hindenburg.
In President Won HindAnburg' home
town. Hanover, there was a vote Of
156.5S4 in favor of taking away the
properties. This was. slightly more
than half the number Of the eligible
voters. President Won Hindenburg
was bitter opponent of the measure
to confiscate the royal properties and
recently in personal letter declared
that fha odnntinv, Nf 1>
trary to all right and justice.
The defeat of the, confiscation pro.
posal was a blow TO the political pres.
tige of the Socialists, who strongly
favored 1t, and 1t is. considered as
likely vitality to influence that party's
parliamentary attitude on the question
OF joining a future coalition govern.
ment because Of embitterm ene over
their desertion by the Democrats and
the Centrists.
Both. the Initiative and referend urn
were financed with Socialist funds.
Bill May Be Modified. =
1t now remains to be seen whether
the Marx-Streseinann government, in
view of the defeat Of the proposal for
confiscation without compensation,
will be moved to modify its bill con.
cernlf1S royal properties, now before
the Reichstag. This bill, while not
depriving the former rulers completely
of their properties. contains provisions
anything but attractive to the one
time rulers. 1t provides, among other
things, features of retroactive effect
in connection with settlements with
royalties since November. 1918.
1t Is presumed the nationalist mem.
bers Of the Reichstag will seek to
obtain better terms for the one.time
rulers than the government bill
grants.
The referendum was attended BY
some disorders. There were clashes at
Madgeburg and Halle, where several
Communists were killed. The specter
Of bolshevism. which was injected into
the last hours Of the campaign, helped
the Hohenzollerns. The people an.
parently feared that such dispossession
might be followed by the seizure of
private property
None of the members Of the cabinet
voted.
Radicals Are JubiIant.
Although confiscation of the former
rulers property fell short by 5,Oo0,-