Evening star., 1933-03-05
Today's German Election.

What may well be the fate OF the
young German Republic will be deter
mined in the ReichsAag election to be
held today. At the esad of five weeks
Of tyrannical campaigning by the Hit
Ter National Socialists and Hueenberg
Nationalists. the Reich Is called upon
for the third time within q year to
choose q Parliament for the supposed
purpose Of legislating In Unison With q
cabinet government.
Four other parties, notably tthe Social
Democrats and the Roman Catholic
Center, have also been In the had, but
their appeals for support have had to
be made under such ruthless restrictions
of free speech and the press that Ythe
reactionary Rightist groups. now IN
power under Chanosllor Hitler. have
had the campaign virtually to them
selves. II these two organizations be-
tween them do not emerge in control OF
the Reichstag as result of the Sabbath
day pollings, something approaching q
political miracle will have been achieved
by the long-suffering German people.
At the precious election. in November,
1892, Hitler's "Nazis" and Hugenberg's
Nationalists mopped up PAT seats out OF
584. or nearly SO short of . majority.
The Iiberal-Leftist foes Of Hitler and
Hugenberg contend that q majority for
the Nazis and Nationalists will only
be obtainable If 10000, 600 persons vote
this time. This would be 90 per cent
of the electorate-all German citizens.
men and women over twenty years OF age.
The vote In the November election was
about 35,0O0,00O. Five million addi-
tional votes would mean an increase OF
SO Reichstag seats. The constitution
provides that there shall be one Reich
stag member for each 60 900 votes under
the proportional electoral system.
Membership in the Reichstag thereby
would be raised to 667. The Hitler
Hugenberg forces would have to cap
ture 334 seats II they were to bend the
Reichstag to their will henceforward
under constitutional provisions.
1t Is by no means impossible that this
will come to pass. Though the Novem-
ber elections produced loss Of 2.000. 900
"Nazi" votes. Hitler has unquestionably
recovered both ground and prestige
since then. especially following his re-
cent accession to the chancellorship I'm.
der Col Won Pspen's auspices and with
President Won Hindenburgs acquiescence.
The German people can be in little
doubt Of what IS In store for them II Q
Hitler -Hugenberg landslide now ensues.
The "Nazi" chieftain, in an eve-of-battle
broadcast from Berlin on Friday night.
announced that the Hitler cabinet will
hold the first sitting Of the new Reichs-
tag in the historic garrison church at
Potsdam, where lie Frederick the Great
and his father, Frederick william I.
The church Is Prussia's military VAL
halla. It incarnates the spirit Of he'll
meted and spurred Hohenzollernism.
IT believe there can be no higher
symbol of the will to rebuild the Ger
man national community" thundered
Herr Hitler over the radio. than that
after a criminal hand has laid the
Reichstag building In ashes We 60 out
to the city Of Prussia's greatness and, in
the old garrison church Of Potsdam,
begin the new work Of German recon-
struction by the bier Of the immortal
king"
Germany's voters will not be able to
lament that they went to the polls
without warning, If they presently dis
cover that the firm name Of Hinden-
burg & Hitler, on which the ''Nazis"
traded in the Reichstag campaign now
ended, has been changed to "Hinden-
burg, Hitler and the Hohenzollerns."
Either 'Nazi" vote today is a vote
for the restoration Of the monarchy, or
Hitler and Hugenberg have dangled
Hohenzollernism before the Reich elec-
torate as o bait to intrench themselves
in power more automatically than they
are already enthroned.