Evening star., 1935-01-06

nous vote for immediate return to
Germany. That is not so now. There
Will be heavy vote for the status quo.
1t is not merely that the left wing
OF labor is alarmed at the prospect of
falling into the hands of the Nazis.
More formidable, and more incalcu-
liable, is the Catholic opposition. That
opposition is not anti German, but it
Is anti-Na1., and its strength will be
vital factor in the poll. That it will
be considerable was evidenced by the
remarkable anti-Nazi Catholic DEM
onstration in the Johannishof, when
the walls were hung with battle cries,
Not so (swastika symboD. but so
(Roman cross)";; TO be German is to
be free: rather dead than the slaves
of the Nazis."
The argument that ran through the
speeches was that 1t was the Nazis
who had made division in the Saar.
and that the Christian party must
vote for the maintenance of the status
quo now so that the Saar could return
later to fnee country.
1t is this attitude that the German
front is chiefly concerned to combat.
II the issue were final, If, that is, a
vote for the Saar remaining under the
control of the League of Nations
meant permanent separation from
Germany, the anti-Nazi Catholics
would vote for union with Germany,
But the definite assurances they have
received from the Council of the
League that there Is no obstacle to
future revision of the settlement
which will follow the vote of January
Is give them greater freedom of ac-
ton. They can vote for the status
quo now without prejudicing their
ultimate desire for union with Ger
many when that country has escaped
from the excesSes of Nazism and the
present regime It is significant that
1t was not until those assurances were
given that the demonstration in the
Johannishof was organized.
X X y
In the face of this threat to the
solidarity of the German vote, the
Nazis insist on the unalterability OF
the coming decision. They ignore
the declarations at Geneva and fer
vently declaim from platform, press
and microphone that the choice be-
tween the status quo and union with
Germany is final and eternal.
Another ground of alarm to the
Nazis is the decision of the League
governing commission that the votes
shall be counted at Saarbruecken and
burnt Immediately afterwards. The
Nazis wanted the votes counted locally
and the results announced locally
The reason for this they left in NO
obscurity. One of the fears upon
which they have played has been
that through the fngerprints on the
voting papers those who voted for
the status quo would be discoverable
The decision to count the votes at
Saarbruecken and to burn them when
they are counted is intended to re-
move that fear from the electorate.
Before the arrival of the interna-
tional forces there was apprehension
lest a Communist "putsch" should be
invented in order to stampede the
electorate. and it was significant that
at the anti-Nazi Catholic meeting
great play was made with the queS-
tion, What will our Reichstag fire
be?" But with the British Italian
forces now in control of the situation
there Is, I think, no peril of an or
ganized attempt to interfere with the
course of the plebiscite.
AS I have indicated, there is little
question about the result, though
much question about the emphasis Of
the result. The Saar will vote for
Germany, but the minority will be
substantial and the situation that will
arise between the victorious Nszis and
the defeated anti-Nazis will be one Of
great bitterness. Whether the guar
antees for the protection of those who
are known to have voted for the main
tenance of the status quo will be ef-
fectiv0 is Q question which events
alone can answer.
(Copyrizflt, 1882