Evening star., 1932-08-11
GERMAN LEADERS
HIT CONSTITUTION
Republics 18th Birthday Is
Marked by Charge Nation
Is Divided.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN, August l1-Adolf Hitler's
advance toward the German chancellor
ship slipped momentarily into the
background today as Germany cele-
brated the thirteenth birthday of the
republic.
1t was perhaps the strangest celebra-
ton of Constitution day in all these
13 years, for outdoor political meetings
were forbidden and republican groups,
holding their anniversary exercises un-
der the guise of party assemblies, hud-
died indoors, forbidden to rejoice openly
at the founding of the republic.
The outward form Of custom was OBJ
served in the Reichstag, where Baron
Won Gayl, minister of the interior, was
orator of the day, and President Won
Hindenburg, tanned and healthy after
a vacation in the country, was cheereo
as he entered the presidential box.
Baron Won Gayl's speech was like
no other on Constitution day.
Holds Nation Divided.
"The constitution does not unite Ger
mans; 1t separates them," he said. New
erthelesS the government decided on an
official observance Of this day-not TO
make it a day of celebration, but to
seize the opportunity for plain speaking
to the German people.
The constitution needs revision. The
yearning for a new, free, self-determin-
ing Germany is becoming stronger"
He referred but briefly to the coun-
try's economic plight, asserted that the
past 10 years has been a decade of per-
sonal ego, and expressed regret that the
German people has split into two po-
litical camps. The constitution written
at Weimar. he said, is but foundation
and in the course of revision should be
amended to include change in the
electoral laws to curb party domina-
tion.
The Socialists. ardent defenders OF
the republic, did not attend. Neither
did the Communists. Adolf Hitler is
away in the Bavarian Alps.
President Won Hindenburg has invited
him to Berlin for conference to-
morrow.
The Centrists, led by former Chancel-
lor Bruening, are to have conference
of their own with the NaticnaliSts and
the National Socialists on the forma-
ton of a Prussian cabinet. 1t was the
Centrists who invited the others to
this conference, and this fact may in
dicate the trend which the problem
of the national cabinet will follow.
Republican Press Bitter.
The Republican press was bitter in
its comment on the turn affairs had
taken.
"Ridiculed, cursed and maligned,"
said the powerful Liberal paper, Ber-
liner Tageblatt, that's the 18th birth
day celebration of the founding OF the
constitution"
Chancellor Won Papen requested the
leaders of the Centrist party, headed
by former Chancellor Heinrich Bruen-
ing to call on him today to discuss
their attitude toward turning the
chancellorship over to Hitler.
The Centrists are noted for their po-
litical astuteness and there was feel
ing they might agree to tolerate Hitler
provided all power is not surrendered
to his NaziS.
The consensus in informed circles
was that the Centrists and President
Won Hindenburg were agreed Hitler
would be more innocuous as chief OF
a coalition government than as leader
of the Naz movement. without re-
sponsibility.
The expectation was that Gen. Kurt
Won Schleicher, affable Junker, defense
minister and regarded as the soul Of
the present cabinet, would remain in
| his post under Hitler, in command of
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