Evening star., 1946-08-01
How Bovurion Government Works
Press Criticisms Stir u. 5 Hope
That DemocrocyIs Taking Hold
Fifth OF q Series. J
By Herbert F, Corn

or Of The Stof
with headquarters in Mupich com
posed of 80 officers and % enlisted
men. most of them trained in France
specifically for this task. On MAY
% Fritz Schaffer was appointed
minister president and ordered tc
form a government. Following cri-
ticism of his administration he re-
signed in September and was re-
placed by DIR. Wilhelm Hogner. a
Social Democrat. the present min
ister-p president. When a hotly con-
tested Stadtkreis election showed
the Christian Social Union (Catholio
party had rolled up a plurality, DR.
Hogner resigned. Gen. Muller, after
careful considera tion. reaffl1med his
faith in DR.. Hogner and refused to
accept his resigna ton He will hold
Office until the Landtag election IL
\ ovember.
On January l, l946. the German
civil government in Bavaria was
held capable OF walking without
outside help" sno DR.. Hogner was
given responsibility for its opera
ton under the watchful eye of the
military government. On January
n the first free elections in 13
years was held in communities under
10000. Eighty seven per cent of
the 2,398.843 eligible voted The
result left in Office rs per cent OF
the incumbents appointed by The
military government. In prepars-
riOn for this election over $500, 600
persons were examined by the Ger
man civil authorities while the
military government had the re-
sponsibility of screening the candi-
dates. In this process 100000 Ger
mans were disenfranchiSed.
73 Per Cent Went to Polls.
The second election was held on
April % on a Landkreis county,
level. Seventy three per cent of
the 2.541.83O eligible voters went
TO the polls.
In order 10 control the great
number of splinter parties new
party must give evidence OF lis
membership before it is authorized
by the military government to en-
gage in political activities. Five
parties are authorized on q land
level. They are:
Christian Social Union. Al per
cent at last election.
Social Democrats, 80 per cent.
Free Democrats and Economic Re-
construction parties, II per cent.
Communists, 10 per cent. I'VE
asked George Fischer, secretary of
the Communist party, if he acted
on or received any instructions from
the Russian party. He replied with
an empha tic Mem
Some $50 parties have been au-
ihorized at kreis levels. but lis OF
them subsequently have been ab-
sorbed into the five Land parties
In Munich we got down to some
hard facts in connection with prob
lens Of reha bilitation, German
schools newSps pers, radio and thea :
ierS.
Shortage of neWSprint has re-
Stricted the number of neWSpa perS
licensed and healthy competition is
missing
Schools Lack Textbooks.
Elementary re-education is suffer
ing from lack of new textbooks
ordered but not delivered, because
of shortage Of paper Some schools
are operating without textbooks,
some with deleted versions of old
books
Sports are being encouraged by
organizations being formed among
the German youth to replace the
Hitler youth movement.
Bavarians will hear fewer mar
tisl tunes in their concerts. Rich
ard Stra uSS. whose works so ap-
pealed to Hitler has been banned
Efforts to get the theater going
have been slow. The Hitler regime
had transformed most of the pri.
vately operated theaters into state
theaters. 1t is difficult to intereS
private individuals in their restoIa
lion, but three are in operation un.
der carefully screened directors
actors and plsywrights.
The average motion picture thea,
ter shows news reels and few sc
lected American subjects JacE
Benny,s 'Charley's Aunt" and Wal
Disney's productions seemed TO bt
most Of the German fare.
A staff of 400 is working hare
10 get radio station in operation
soon.
Tomorrow The Situa ton in
Austria,