GREAT REJOICINGS IN SAARBRUCKEN

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 96, 17 January 1935, Page 9

GREAT REJOICINGS IN SAARBRUCKEN

Citizens Throng Streets DANCING, CHEERING AND SINGING By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received January 16, 840 p.m.) Saarbrueken, January 15. Within a few minutes of the declaration of the poll, Saarbrueken, despite a cold and foggy morning, became a city mad with delight. Following the announcement of a huge German majority a Nazi journalist in the gallery of the Wartburgh. Hall leapt to his feet, shouting “Long life to Germany!” Immediately he was surrounded by hundreds of compatriots giving the Hitler salute and shouting “Heil, Hitler.” The cry, hitherto taboo in the Saar, echoed through the hall. Within a minute the bells of the Church of St. Johann began to peal and immediately all the citizens seemed to be in the streets. Nazi flags, hitherto forbidden, and Hitler portraits appeared magically at the windows, and draped with flags and festooned with flowers motors made a procession through the city with crowds clinging to the roofs and bonnets, shouting. “Heil, Hitler!” and singing “Deutschland Über Alles.” The town band played patriotic airs and vast crowds thronged the pavements dancing with linked arms and cheering and singing. The churches held thanksgiving services. The rejoicings culminated in the evening. A procession, miles long, consisting of men, women, and children carrying lighted Chinese lanterns and banners inscribed, “We are free.” “Home again,” “Leader, we have done our duty,” accompanied by dozens of bands, threaded through the city and environs. Throngs of spectators received the procession with cheers and a forest of saluting arms. General Good Humour. The celebrations generally were goodhumoured, although a portion of the procession consisted of top-hatted men. escorting a coflin labelled “Status Quo,” while a motor-car trailed an effigy of Herr Braun, the Socialist leader. Another delegation of top-hatted men deposited a wreath will an Ironical inscription at the offices of a newspaper which yesterday predicted an antiHitler majority. Hawkers were our. selling funeral cards, announcing, “The status quo is dead and gone to hell. Please don’t visit the mourners, who are suffering a nervous breakdown.” While a similar jubilation was going on throughout the Saar, many opponents of Nazism, fearing reprisals, were packing up in readiness for a speedy flight. Several well-known Socialists and Communists have already departed. The police arrested 16 Communists. They deny that this is a preliminary to a general round-up, but was justified by the discovery of weapons. Socialist newspapers are ceasing publication owing to the fear of their readers being known as supporters of the status quo. The roost interesting figures at the poll were at the village of Berus on the French frontier, -which in a military sense dominates the Saar. Only 41 out of 4000 voted for return to France, while at St. Ingbert 13,085 voted all for return to Germany. United Front Crushed. The Saarbrueken correspondent of “The Times,” a London message states, says that the United Front seemed crushed by its defeat, and a proposed demonstratiort became sad indoor meetings under police protection. Herr Brann declared that the struggle against tyranny -would be carried on. Herr Braun and Herr Pfordt, the Communist leader, at present refuse to flee. It is obvious that many Socialists and Communists deserted the status quo cause. The Catholics unexpectedly voted for return to Germany. Herr Macht, who, according to a German allegation, was concerned in a plot to seize power by force, and his party immediately after the announcement of the result departed for France. BERLIN CELEBRATES Dr. Goebbels Attacks • Mr. Knox “DAYS NUMBERED” (Received January 16, 8.40 p.m.) Berlin, January 16. The city celebrated the Saar triumph with a gigantic torchlight demonstration before the Reichstag building, which was floodlit with 1,00,060 candlepower searchlighs. Dr. Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, speaking from lie Reichstag steps, bitterly attacked Mr. G. G. Knox, chairman of the Saar Governing Commission, declaring that his days were numbered. He accused him of siding with the status quo party, adding: “If ridicule could kill, Mr. Knox’s only remaining task would be to dig a mass grave for the separatists.”