Evening star., 1932-07-31
Today in Germany.

Forty-five or fifty million Germans
will 60 to the polls today and elect a
new Reichstag at the end Of furious
political campaign between the forces
of reaction and those which would
preserve the republic. Fifteen parties
are contesting for total Of five
hundred and seventy-seven seats, but
the battle RACES. essentially. between
the Conservative or right groups and
the Liberal or left groups.
The parties Of the right comprise the
National Socialists of Hitler and Ma
tionalists led by Hugenberg. The left
parties consist mainly Of the Social
Democrats and their various Liberal
allies. Midway between Rightists and
Leftists stands, as its name indicates,
the Center party, made up almost ex-
clusively of Roman Catholics. Forming
the extreme left wing is the Communist
group in the Reichstag, dominated, until
his fall early in the Summer, by Chan
cellor Bruening. The government ruled
with a coalition Of Social Democrats
and Centrists. 1t contrived on needed
occasions to marshal something more
than the requisite majority to sustain
itself In Office, but the Bruening regime
was constantly in hot water because
Of the presence of lot Hitler "Nazis,"
Al Hugenberg Nationalists and II Com
munists. These oppokitional forces were
never able to maneuver themselves into
Reichstag majority, but they emerged
more powerful than before-Hitler's
strength grew from IL seats in 1928
to 107-that there seemed ample justi-
fication for reactionary boasts that the
next Reichstag election, taking place
today, would see the foes Of the existing
system in Germany definitely in the
ascendant
AS to what their ascendancy would
mean, the "Nazis" and the Nationalists
left no doubt. They would destroy the
Weimar constitution. They would de-
moliSh the republic. They would do
away with parliamentary government
and the Reichstag. They would turn
the treaty Of Versailles into a scrap Of
paper. They would not, because they
probably could not, Immediately restore
the monarchy, but they openly
preached "kaiseriSm" In the campaign
just ended, and the Hohenzollerns were
brazenly identified with the subversive
"NaZi" case.
Election predictions in Germany are
as unreliable as In most countries, but
that the Reich is about to be handed
over to his tender mercies are not borne
out by most adviceS from Berlin.
That "Nazi" strength will be enor-
mously increased seems certain. The
FaScistS have carried almost everything
before them since the 1880 landslide.
They failed to elect Hitler President
over Field Marshal Won Hindenburg In
April. But in May they swept the Diet
elections In Prussia and In nearly every
other state. Yet 1t is doubtful whether
they will today double their present
total Of lot Reichstag seats and more,
as they pretend they will, and thus be
entitled to control the government in
alliance with the NationalistS. Another
Right-Center coalition, with cabinet
corresponding to it, Is the greater likeli-
hood.
To the end the exact role Of Presi-
dent Won Hindenburg and Of the Won
Papen government installed by him
after Breuning's fall has remained OBJ
seure. Every indication suggests that
their predictions all favor the Hit
-Hugenberg Right Extremists. The
Won Papen Junker cabinet chased the
Social Democrats out Of power in Prus-
sia, and set up . dictatorship. They
permitted the "NaZis" 10 Swagger about
once more in their provocative political
brown shirts. Yet Chancellor Won
Papen assured the American radio
audience night before last thst the
dictatorship is only a temporary peace
preserving mechanism and that the
militariSt cabinet now In automatic
control does not menace constitutional
rights anywhere in the Reich.
--S-&0%-a