Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14


X most important single election
held anywhere in Europe sine
the World War will be Tough
out in Germany tomorrow.
Public interest is intense and politica
passions. under the pressure OF economic
uncertainties, are running high. TIT
campaign toll thus far Is 6 dead anc
1855 wounded, ISL iTnpriSonments anc
about 5000 temporary arrests, and il
would have been higher, it is declared
except for the skill and efficiency Of
the police.
It is widely considered that the re.
suits can fundamentally affect not only
the internal economic situation, the fu-
tllre foreign policy and even the future
form of government, whether genuine
republic or a more or less declared
dictatorship, in Germany itself, but
through Germany 1t may influence the
economic situation and the interior
political situation and international out
look of most other European countries
The momentous drama OF parties and
circumstances, of popular hopes and
fears, can perhaps be best analysed
under three heads: First, Germany's
policy, and, third, its political Difficult
ties.
/. Economic problems unquestionably
dominate the election. The world crisis
has grievously aggravated Germanys
private financial crisis due to overSpend-
Ing and unSound financing by various
administrations. The number of I'M
employed now receiving doles is nearly
100000. The budget deficit has been
reduced by unpopular emergency meas
ures decreed by the present government,
but even now is well, it is said, over
1000, 900. This deficit is variouSly
attributed to a 10 per cent decrease in
tax returns, owing to bad business, to
Increased doles and to special appropria-
tions of $50,000,009 recently made, for
reasons of internal and external politics,
to East Prussia.
Something, obviously, must be done,
and done quickly. Extremists of both
the Right and the Left profess to see no
hope save in complete catastrophe end
ing either in a Communist or reac-
tionary dictatorship. The Socialists.
under the accusation of being at least
passively responsible for the present
difficulties, seem to have no definite
financial program except to try to pre-
vent the Right from going too far in
its plans to break the present govern
mentally guaranteed high wage levels.
Only the Moderate Right parties seem
70 have the courage to bring forward q
series of concrete proposals. But what
ever happens the incomes of virtually
everybody in Germany viii be directly
affected one way or another, hence the
excitement Of the voters.
2. Alarm caused abroad by the cam
paign speeches of various German
leaders In favor of treaty revision, par
ticularly the return OF the aso-called
Polish Corridor to Germany. seems to
have astonished the GermafE them
selves. 1t Is everywhere stated that these
speeches were merely intended to win
votes in the eastern part or Germany,
where animosity to Poland runs high.
All the German parties seem agreed
that the Corridor must some day, some
how, become German again, but except
for the superpatriots of the Extreme
Right and the Communists Of the Ex-
IRENE Left, nobody for the present
seems to envisage other than peace
4ul means.
The foreign policy of all the parties
except the extremists can be sum-
married as one of wait and see''
Nobody seems to be able to explain just
how Germany hopes to get the Cor
ridor back without war, but there Is
widespread faith that something will
happen some time which viii enable
Germany to drive a diplomatic BAR
gain of some kind Obviously, 1t ID
necessary for Germany meanwhile To
keep the question open; that is, to re-
fuse to make any far-reaching compro-
misses and consultations either with