A DICTATORSHIP

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1932, Page 5

A DICTATORSHIP

PRUSSIAN RULE TO END DIET DEADLOCK. ,j " i (United Presß Association^ —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) BERLIN, July 20. . The Reich Government has appointed Captain Von Papen as State Commissioner for Prussia, with practically dictatorial powers. Up till ;now the Prussian Det ha£ faked to elect its own; Ministers (owing to a virtual deadlock between nearly equal opposingl elements) and. the Ministers in office have been in an acting capacity,

the 'Nazis having gained a great increase in representation at the recent elections. Chancellor Von Papen informed the Prussian Ministers that the prevailing conditions failed to guarantee law and order, and thereicre he had been appointed Commissioner, until the new Prussian Diet has agreed to elect its own Ministers. Captain Von Papen, broadcasting throughout Germany this evening, said: “Tile Prussian Government is undei' CoinhiUnist influence;/ The Communists-, he said, were aligned in the united front with the Prussian authorities against Hitlete ism. He added his belief that the Prussian high officials had clandestine sympathies with Terrorist organisations. The present stringent measures Were not aimed against Prussian State sovereignty, but were designed to cleanse the administration from all connection with Communism. There, was every intention to hold the Reiciistag elections on July 31. A state of emergency has been proclaimed in Berlin. In Brandenburg also the police are under military command. Coupled with, the declaration of a military of State emergency in Berlin and Brandenburg, the events in Prussia have stirred the country. The coup d’etat came with dramatic suddenness and astonishing success. A single day restored Junker rule over two-thirds of Germany, where the Junkers now occupy every key governmental position, in token of which machine guns are lining the W ilhelm-, strasse and other, official centres of the capital, i . ,' Von Papen’s coup is hailed with delight by Hitler and Hindenburg, who both have been blaming the Prussian Government for recent political rioting. ■ The decision implies the acceptance of Hitler’s argument that the Socialist rule is unable to prevent disorders w PrUsslil. 1 . : ; Tiie Chancellor’s decree places m the hands of the Reich Government the hulk of the afmbd fotees iff Prussia, . 1 ■ Chancellor Veil Papen in the nam* inal dictator •of Prussia, but another member of the Reich Cabinet, General Schleicher, has been appointed ruler of Berlin and Brandenburg,-with summary powers. He may order house to house searches and confiscations, and forbid any kind of demonstration, and establish extraordinary courts. He is empowered to impose the death penalty for armed resistance to the military or police, or for treason. General Schleicher’s first act was the dismissal of the acting Ministers. . f

The Dictatorship is the greatest coup since the Republic was declared in 1919, and is regarded as a death blow to’ the democratic regime. The decree not only places the bulk of the Prussian armed forces under control of the Reich Government, and therefore under General Schleicher, but it ialso deposes the Prussian Minister of the Interior, Herr Severing, who recently declared that Captain Von Papen’s Ministry must be driven from office. Captain Von ' Pa-pen summoned him this morning, and announced the Dictatorship. Herr Severing returned to his office to find a hundred Roldiers in charge, with orders to use force if ho declined to vacate the position. Herr Severing, who Ims been in control of ninety. . thousand Prusian police, defiantly refused to vacate his office, expressing doubts as to the lega - ity of the action of the Reich Government He first refused to hand over Ids powers to Dr. Bracht-(whom the. Reich Government has appointed as the Commissioner for Prussia), but surrendered unconditionally when Bracht actually threatened him with arrest. , ■ Herr Grezesinslci, Chief of the Prussion Police, and bis assistants, who also refused to hand their posts to the military, were taken to gaol, 11 were released later. ■ The Prussian Ministry of Pol.ce, the f President and Vice-President of Prussia, have also resigned.

'. AN APPEAL. FOR UNION. SOVIET-RUSSIAN BROADCAST. MOSCOW, July 19. An appeal in favour of union between the Communists and the Social Democrats in Germany has been launched front the Soviet Russian broadcasting station at Moscow. It is stated that in view of the imminent danger threatening from the “enemies of tire working classes,” it is urgently necessary that all Labour parties, make peace h<‘tw'een themselves. “Under these liven instances,” so the appeal continued. “Communis s and Socialists as well as Christian workers, should bear in mind that the question at issue is far bigger than mere party programme. It is now a question of life and death for the working classes and tire whole Labour movement, which is running the risk

of being crushed by Fasoism for many yeans to come. Tn© internal; juggle between the proletarian parties Should, therefore, be postponed until • after, the defeat of the common fee.’V; >;; j A DECREE UPON COMMUNISTS:: GENERAL STRIKE CONSIDERED'.'! BERLIN, July'2o^ Rumours are current that the GdJ* ernment contahp ate a decree declaring the Communist Party to beSillogal, but in view of the fact that it numbers five million, the Government may hesitate to take such a drastic step. The All German Trade Union Federation is considering a genera) strike; but fear it will lead to annulment of the general election. Moreover, an unlimited number 'of .Nazis art* ready to step an the vacant jobs.

'J'lie action of the Reich Government is meet-ng severe condemnation from Socialists and Catholics, who lepresent at least half the electorate in Go.many. ‘ ’• ,y

The Socialist rulers of Prussia declined to accept the coup. Infantry and machine g:ns- are now guarding the Germany Chancellery in Berlin. It is believed that the acute struggle for supremacy wilf ensue and troops will occupy the State of Prussia. After attending, a funeral, two women were k.Ped during a political detlion.tration near Hanau, neat* Berlin. The majority of the 5000 mourn-' ers bese-iged the house of a policeman',' who had 'been on fluty dtlring the disvturbnnce. Th c y . smashed the and were about to force an entry, when the policeirian, appeared, with a revoi- ! ver, Hi fired, killing two and wounding five. ' PRESIDENT FAVOURS NEW ? POLICY: 5 ■ ' h “ BERLIN, July 20. There is .every evidence that yes ter- : day’s action was t carefully prepared and that it must have received President Von Hmd/nburg’s approval during the visit which Chancellor Von Papen paid to him on July 17th. PRUSSIA AND THE REICH. UNITY OF CONTROL MAY : s ■ REMAIN. ; mijcr BERLIN,. July 20. The opinion is being expressed that: now that a personal union, as between: the ’Governments of Prussia and , of the Reich itself, has been re-establisht" ed, s the parties in power are likely.to., find a dozen ' reasons' , for prolonging that union, apd eveii; for giving r it< a permanent .form..; .£• . ; •’•> . No. party objects - to the Reich’s? Commissioner for Prussia, who is Dr. Brdcht. Fersonally, ; f,,Dr. • Bracht.*:,; inknown to be a cons«ientious admiiiis,-: trative officer. inr-uxib; * - If. is stated that 1 all r of the arrested bfficiais will be released ~as< Sooii aS ih Jr; cdaSs I to cldim .to be ins omee. r.-.. * Barbed wire ;is being placed round: all of 'the: buildings l\\ tho city that are thought likely to ho attacked' by the Oommuniets, v s:l BAVARIA SEEKS DEFINITION. ' ’MUNICH, July 21. . The Bavarian Governmient have instituted a test case and are seeking a definition of the Reich Government’s powers of interference in the Governments, of the German States. LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE. EFFECT OF PRESIDENT’S DECREE LONDON, July 20. A weakness in Germany’s loans was a feature of the London stock market to-day. On the news that/-in order to restore; peace and security in Prussia, a Presidential decree had been put into force placing that State under a dictatorship which the Chancellor Captain Von. Papen as State Commissioner declared a state of emergency in Berlin, the German seven per cents dropped four and a-llalf points to 77, and German five and a-half per cents dropped two points to sixty and a-half. British funds, after their early , firmness, reacted, tyid they finished °R®*eighth to three-eighths lower on the day.

FRENCH OPINION. (Received this, day at 9.25 a.m) : , ' BERLIN, July 21. Except for a minor affray at Ruhr, the night passed quietly. The police raided Communists’ printing plant and seized a mas® of leaflets uring a general strike and arrested ninety.. They simultaneously suppresed the Communist newspaper Rate Fahne. . _ Paris press regards the events m Germany as a new concession to Hitlei. T'.ie “Petit' Journal”, says Von Papen has won one of the main battles against the Republic. The “Journal* 1 says , it is inopportune now to abandon the safeguards of Versailles.