Evening star., 1933-02-05
Eirst Ma jor Hurdle.

Diet. in which the opposition parties
now are in the majority.
Eirst Major Hurdle.
The Diet impasse was the first major
hurdle faced by Chancellor Hitler's
government in the first week Of its ex-
istence. In accordance with President
Won Hindenburg's insistence that the
constitution must in nowise be strained,
the cabinet adopted the long and COM
plicated method Of communal elections
rather than follow the clamor Of some
newspapers for dissolution of the Diet
by decree.
Before this action was taken the gov
eminent drafted decree withdraw
ing the freedom Of the press in so far As
tion, or to cause unrest among the
populace, are concerned. The measure
also restricts the right Of assembly.
Although the decree Is expected to be
promulgated tomorrow, the government
has not waited for that formality and
has banned at least eight Socialist and
two Communist papers in scattered
towns. and the entire Communist press
in the Ruhr Valley. The most impor-
tant Socialist paper under ban is the
Berlin Vorwaerts. Cologne, jena, Gera,
Hanover, Breslau, Mecklenburg and
Schwerin papers also were officially
prohibited.
Issues Three Denials.
The Government issued three denials:
l. That 1t contemplated q general
moratorium for agriculture.
2. That . cabinet rift had occurred.
3. That it planned to appoint Federal
commissars for states other than Prus-
sia, where such omcials already are
serving.
The dissolution Of city and village
councils means that all boards Of
aldermen, from Berlin down to the
smallest village in the state, must hold
elections one week after the scheduled
Reichstag election. The government
expects these elections to produce COM
mur1al majorities for the Nationalists
and for Hitler's National Socialists and
to result in the election of q rightist
president of the Prussian State Coun-
ell. This president, voting with Nazi
Diet President Hans Kerrl, would bring
about the dissolution of the diet under
the provision which permits dissolu-
tion by two-to-one vote of the diet
triumvirate. This diet triumvirate in
cludes the premier Of Prussia, the presi-
dent Of the diet and the head of the
State Council.
Under the Prussian constitution the
communities choose delegates to dis
tfict parliaments, which, In turn, elect
representatives for the Is provinces into
which Prussia u divided. These repre-
sentatives constitute the Prussian State
Council, from the members Of which q
president u chosen by majority vote.
"Nfenstrous Insults Published"
A government communique said re.
strictions on the press had become
necessary bscauss "monstrous insults
have been published which q govern
ment determined to assert It's author
ity cannot stand for"
From d national Socialist source II
was learned that the restriction decree
would contain all the provisions Of q
similar measure issued during the Won
Papen regime, In addition to . number
Of more stringent measures. The Won
rapen decree provided that newspapers
might be suppressed for maximum
of one month for melting against the
government, for bringing contempt
upon institutions, authorities or re-
ligion, or for publishing false news en-
dangering the vital interests Of the
state.
The roundabout method Of dissolving
the Prussian Diet was decided on after
that legislative body ct . tumultuous
session had declined BY . vote Of 214
to 100 to Accede to . demand by the
Hitler cabinet that It be Dissolved. The
Diet tfiumvirate voted ! to ] n SUD.
port Of the Diet itself.