The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1933. MADE TO ORDER

Hokitika Guardian, 16 November 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1933. MADE TO ORDER

An election made to order such as Rea-many has just passed through, will rank in history as one of the most remarkable events in international history. The whole country was swept by the fervour of the Nazis, and responded : to the clarion call of the Chancellor in a manner sufficient to satisfy the most ambitious of leaders. New Zealand by the way, is also to have an election practically made to order, but it will be for a single seat, Bulier. The contest is set down for next Wednesday, and so sure is the verdict that a victory ball is scheduled for the evening, and. the Leader of the Opposition is booked to be present to welcome his new recruit I And there is not likely to be a slip ’twixt cup and lip in this one-sided poll either! Reverting to the unusual German situation, as the “Times” says, there is revealed “a standardised nation,” and Nazis will be the official Germans. Herr Hitler lias achieved a wonderful verdict to win over in such a short period, a whole nation to his bidding. He has greater authority than ever, but his license is not one of unrestricted freedom. He still has to comply with the conventions, and he may not with impunity, ignore the treaty obligations the country’s rel- - subscribed to. Probably, therefore, he is not in any more advantageous position than before the poll, though the people will expect greater things of his leadership. His personality in the changed conditions of Germany, is a remarkable developmen, and lie now enjoys within his own domain unrestricted scope for developing the moulding of the new nation he is seeking to create. There has been much parade in approachng the polls, but the propaganda could not imp-ess the foreign nations whose business in particular it is to overlook Germany. There can. be no illusions outside Germany of this “one way” election as it has been styled, and. those nearest to the seen© of action are sure to be well informed of the internal trend of events, and will know something of the objective the moving spirit has in view. On. paper, Herr Hitler lias a very complete mandate of authority. Not only has he an overflowing majority in the Reichstag, but the plebiscite has endorsed the Nazi policy in a very whole-hearted way. The votes approved the policy and identified themselves with it, by agreeing it was an expression of their own views. The Chancellor so far as domestic affairs is concerned, is therefore very firmly in the saddle, and he may ride as far and as fast as lie wills, at all events for the time being. His pace in foreign affairs will be liable to the check by Allied interests above referred to, and that after all, is the crucial test of the main situation. The nation has created in a. manner, quite a new atmosphere for itself. The people have allowed themselves to be led or dragooned in a wholesale manner, and authority for the position rests with the administrative leaders. Whither weeding will now be the inqury to Germany’s possible destiny. A new route is to be attempted—perhaps in the endeavour t 0 escape international obligations—but it will not he easy of accomplishment. There are still scraps of paper to be considered, and these may not

be ignored so readily now. There is much that 1.3 in the melting pot, and changes and adjustments must come to pass, hut whether the sum of it all will be to the final advantage of Germany, is very much to be doubted.

In an editorial article in which the ending of the Empire Marketing Hoard is deplored ,the limes remarks: —“One moral emerges plainly from the whole story, that the colonies have- suffered. 1 eclipse, alike in the popular and in the - official mind, because of the presence of the Dominions in the same political system. The visitor to Holland who notes the pride and interest of the Dutch in their East Indian Empire and contrasts it with English ignorance: of Malaya, must admit that the English colonies are squeezed out of the picture largely because the Empire lias come to stand, first and foremost, for the countries settled from Great Britain. Yet the colonies, with tlieir 60,003,000 people, represent the real Imperial task of this generation. They arc still undeveloped, their products do not compete with what we grow here, and they need a secure and grow - ing market fostered by educational publicity in proportion as tlieir resources are small. In response to the Buy British campaign of -the E.M.B. there has grown up the practice of holding Empire shopping weeks in many colonies. That is one sign of the will to reciprocate which is so vigorously alive in the colonies. But the initiative must rest with this country; in publicity, in marketing, and in research much may yet he retrieved, and the history of the E.M.B. shows by what methods and at how little cost the work of building markets may be done.