Evening star., 1933-03-11

Great interest b evidenced in this
country in the methods employed by
Adolf Hitler in achieving success in the
latest German election. It Is pointed
out that suppression Of the opposition
was his chief reliance and that his rule
Is accepted because the German people
have not understood the ideals Of dem
ocratic government. Hitler is accused
Of strong-arm tactics.
LEST we be tempted to envy the
Fascist efficiency" advises the San
Francisco Chronicle, I'VE will do well
to observe that the price Of 1t is loss Of
liberty" The New York Sun explains:
"A people weary of political confusion,
OF the conflict Of faction, of unrest, has
hearkened to the big bass drum.
The German electorate has capitulated
to the doctrine of the strong hand"
The Nashville Banner declares that
the Nazi-Nationalist combine has
strong armed the opposition, and.
barring some unexpected and violent
move, it will have no opposition to
express itself" The Danbury News
Times remarks: The German dicta-
torship is an improvement over most
others, because 1t Is constitutional
dictatorship. The German constitution
formally gives power to the President
to suspend certain civil rights IN the
presence Of an emergency. This ne has
done"
"The Hitler sweep" as observed by
the Sranton Times, was felt in all Sec
tions of the country, his victory in Prus-
sia and Bavaria being particularly i'm
pressive. BY many. Hitler's victory Is
attributed to an unaccountable last
minute decision of the normal stay-at-
homes vote to 20 to the polls. Tne
result shows that about 80 per cent OF
the electorate of the country voted.
Hitler's victory will probably mean an
end to the frequent elections which
have kept Germany in turmoil during
the past year, as Hitler made 1t plain
that he wanted no less than four years
to work out his program for what ne
terms 'Germany's salvation The rise
of Hitler In Germany. as well as the
strength shown by Mussolini in Italy,
Is of import to the rest OF the World
particularly to countries adnerlng 70
parliamentary or democratic forms OF
government. To what extent Hitler will
attempt to restore Germany to its old
time position as a world power Is. OF
course, the thing just now which Is
interesting other European countries
most"
."The result was due" in the opinion
of the Louisville Courier journal. 10
the not uncommon trick OF raising the
bupbear of the Red menace. 1t was
the result of fear widely disseminated
and of suppression of the opposition.
It was the outcome Of an entirely one.
sided campaign. The traditional and
bloody feud between the Httlerites and
the Communists reached its climax
with the incendiary fire which swept
the Reichstag Building on February ~:
Immediately the government blameo
the crime on the Communist party ana
suppressed Communist and SOCIALIST
newspapers. No defense was allowed 70
the bolsheviki. No impartial investiga-
tion was permitted. The work Of an
irresponsible firebrand or an agent OF
the Hitler faction, as has been init
mated, was made the pretext for Wr-
tually outlawing the Communist party
and muzzling all opposition to the gov
eminent" .,
germany has voted for leadership"
declares the Newark Evening News,
while conceding that probably there
was some intimidation and suppress
sion," and that paper emphasizes the
fact that "even Bavaria, which has
shown signs of wanting to break away
and set up its own government, has fallen
into line" The Providence Journal IS
convinced that "the republican form OF
government has been struck blow
from which 1t will be . long time re-
covering" and the Milwaukee Sentinel
gives the explanation: "The truth Is
that democratic institutions as We un-
derstand them are largely on-existent
in Germany. Those that were present
at the founding of the republic in
I91S-or seemed to be present-have
largely disappeared. and the disappear
ance can be traced in part to the de-
fects of the Weimar constitution. There
are passages In that constitution which
raise doubts Of their writer's intentions:
did they or did they not really want