Evening star., 1932-11-06
REICHELECTION ARRANGED
TO DISCREDIT PARLIAMENT
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Combina
ton Deliberately Seeks to Pave
Way for Monarchy's Return.

1t was the great depression which
broke the back of the Republican re-
gme, although other causes contributed
materially And there is in sight nc
promise of relief for Germany or for
any other nation which depends largely
upon foreign markets for its domestic
existence.
That is. why Papen and his asso-
ciates are making such terrific din
about German right to military equality
There is, of course. another reason
] they are also trying to steal from the
! Nationalist one Of their strongest
! issues But apart from that it is in
telligent strategy to attempt to divert
German attention from domestic ills
failure to cure which might be
charged to domestic politicians, to for
! eign wrongs which can be charged to
the wicked French.
Recession of the Nazis.
1t would seem that the first purpose
of the Papen cabinet has been achieved,
/ for the signs all point to recession OF
the Nazis. Hitler had his chance after
the last election. He had two chances.
He could have resorted to force and
backed by fourteen million voters might
have made a combination with the
Centre on terms which were not too
impossible. Instead he went to Hinden-
burg and demanded for himself all that
authority OF MuSSolini which the Duce
seized after he had graSped power by
force. Naturally Hitler was refused.
And now the German faces bitter dis
sension in the ranks of his own party.
But there are obvious dangers even
in this Papen success. And the first is
that when the Hitlerites break up very
large numbers will go to the Communist
party. Already the Communists are
pressing the Socialists hard. They may
equal, perhaps even pass, them in votes
in the present election. Moreover, the
Socialists are as tired of the failure
Of their leadership as the Nazis. They
have made sacrifices Of principle and
position to save the republic And now
they. the representatives of the work
ing men, see themselves faced with a
reactionary government. controlled by
big business, the generals and the
junkers
Thus what seems to be forming is a
really revolutionary party at the Left.
party which will fight politically and
in the end in other ways to over
throw any new monarchy. For the time
being the republic is visibly lost and the
opposition will be helpless in the face
OF the Nationalists backed bv the army
and by the leaders in business and
finance. But the opposition unlike that
which existed at the moment of the
World War, will be real dangerous and
in case of disaster certain to follow
the example of the French Republicans
after Sedan.
Apparently the Hohenzollerns are
coming back, a new William will follow
the exile of Doom as a new Napoleon
followed the prisoner of St Helena. But
the old German empire will not be re-
stored solidly just as the old Napoleonic
edlflce was not re-established upon firm
foundations. Moreover even the re-
storation and the limited period of
power which might follow can come
only If the group which has now
seized power can restore prosperity.
First Republic Sinking.
The first German Republic is sink
ing. has in fact sunk, as did the second
French. But the second German en-
plre, like the restored Napoleonic edi-
flee, cannot even cohceivably have any
OF the solidity of the first To maintain
itself at home it must adopt a strong
policy abroad, but the consequences of a
strong policy abroad must be the grad
ual drawing together Of all peoples who
feel themselves menaced by German
purposes. Thus the strong policy will
meet strong resistance.
On the other hand the opposition,
now gone underground. will feed upon
all the mistakes. misfortunes and re-
verses OF the government at home and
abroad. It will always constitute
threat of domestic revolution and the
dangers it threatens will drive reac-
tion to violent methods. No restoration
ever restored what revolution had swept
away. The StuartS came back after
Cromwell, but Parliament soon consoli-
dated its previous gains and the
Stuarts made way for the Hanoverians
The Bourbons came back to France
after Waterloo but only for IS years.
The first German bid for democracy,
that of 1S48, collapsed almost imme-
diately. The second has lasted IA years
and has now failed. But it is already
clear that the leaders of the German
reaction, like the Bourbons. have
learned nothing and forgotten nothing.
Meantime the new election cannot fail
to throw new light upon the confu-
sion which prevails in Germany today.
We Americans are accustomed to
view an election as supplying the people
with means Of expressing their will.
The German election will show the Ger
man people expressing half a dozen
wills which are mutually irreconcilable.
After it is over there will be something
like 200 Nazi deputies, and the Catho-
lies, the Communists and the Socialists
Will each have about 100 seats in the
new Reichstag. The Nationalists will
hardly pass so, but they will control
and not only mean to overthrow the
republic but probably will But 1t is
easy to see on what sort of an inverted
pyramid the present German reaction
is based and how precarious its state Of
balance will be.