Posted on 06/13/2008 5:44:44 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
The German Social Democrats, as in the preceding elections, lost to the Henleinists but their supporters did not yield to the Henlein party electoral terror, thus enabling the Socialists to maintain political representation, although in diminished numbers.
They lost heavily in the towns but in the smaller industrial centers, despite employers’ pressure to force them into the Henlein movement, the workers very largely remained loyal to their convictions and even in a few instances secured added strength.
[Fourteen persons were injured in an election-day outbreak at Maerisch-Schoenberg, The Associated Press reported. Five police and nine Henleinists were injured in a fight after police dispersed a victory parade celebrating a big Sudeten vote.
[The Henlein headquarters announced that the Sudeten party had polled 90.9 per cent of the total vote in the German districts. Of the total of 1,268,649 for the three elections of May 22, 29 and today, 1,154,946 were for Henlein candidates, 91.44 per cent. These were official party figures, however, and were subject to later revision.]
The full results from Slovakia have not yet been received, but first reports indicate that Father Andreas Hlinka, leader of the Catholic Slovak People’s party and head of the autonomist movement, suffered unexpected losses.
The writer visited a number of leading Sudeten German districts where polling occurred today, including Reichenberg, Troppau, Lietmeritz and Teplitz. The most striking feature in all these towns was the strident note of the Henlein electoral propaganda, which on Nazi lines sought to make out of these elections a national if not a religious crusade. The other parties treated them as nothing more serious than local elections for the municipal and parish councils.
Non-Henleinist shops and houses were rarely decorated, although a few flew the national colors or displayed Social Democratic posters. The homes and shops of the Henleinians, on the other hand, used every available inch of space for propaganda displays. From the windows of most of the large shops supporting him, Konrad Henlein’s picture was displayed above a sort of miniature altar carrying offerings of fresh flowers.
This was only one way in which it was sought to arouse German feeling for what was essentially a question of how local educational and sanitary arrangements should be made.
“Not one single vote for the enemies of Sudeten Germans” and “every decent German must vote for Henlein,” are only two examples of totalitarian slogans skillfully employed – in each district in the same words - to create the feeling that any one failing to vote for Herr Henlein was an outcast from the Germanic tribe. The pictorial posters displayed a couple of shabby figures shambling off into outer darkness before the irresistible challenge of a blond, muscular youth shouting “Kick them out of German municipalities into their Red paradise.”
Compared with all this beating of the emotional big drum the appeal of Herr Henlein’s opponents to elect competent representatives who would attend to school books and drainage naturally fell rather flat.
The writer has been able to confirm that there is no truth in reports circulated abroad that Czechoslovakia has yielded to pressure from certain great powers to abandon the measures taken May 21 to protect herself against a sudden attack.
While in deference to the constant pressure exercised upon her by the powers, with the idea of placating Germany despite any cost in this country, she has skeletonized her defense by dismissing numbers of reservists, all her essential defensive forces are being actually maintained. As before, all railway bridges have their protective detachments of troops.
In the short distance between Teplitz and the frontier the writer passed through a series of obstacles. In one place more than half the width of a road approaching a small bridge had been blown up, leaving the small and obviously mined part of the highway guarded by soldiers. A short distance away a large section of the road had been blown up near a dangerous corner and beyond that on the roadside were large numbers of tree trunks ready to be thrown into position in order to provide temporary obstacles. The road itself was covered by machine guns in the near-by thick woods.
There was also evidence that the special emergency anti-aircraft measures protecting Prague itself had not been relaxed.
The third and last of the municipal elections brought nearer a decision [sic] the nation’s conflict with her 3,500,000 German minority.
Early returns showed continuance of trends established in previous Sundays of voting.
Reichenberg, Czechoslovakia’s largest German city, was typical of the predominantly German towns. There the Henleinists polled 19,766 out of 21, 751 votes.
While pro-government parties maintained leads in Czech districts, the Communists appeared to be getting fewer votes than in the May 29 elections, probably because Prague, with its large working-class population, already has completed its voting.
Voters marched to cast their ballots without disorder.
As they crowded the polling places, the highest juridical authorities of the republic devoted the day to an intensive study of the Sudeten German demands for autonomy and other concessions and of the possibility of satisfying at least some of them within the framework of the Constitution.
More than 1,000,000 Sudeten Germans voted or were registered in towns where the lists of their party, led by Herr Henlein, were unopposed.
While the party’s demands were not involved in the elections, it was expected that the municipal votes would provide a clearer picture by tomorrow of the aggregate strength of the party among Czechoslovakia’s German minority.
A total of 8,170 communities was involved in the voting today for communal officers, but many had unopposed candidates and therefore did not go to the polls.
Two official British observers traveled about on the alert for untoward incidents.
They were Major Sutton Pratt, British assistant military attaché, and Peter Pares, British consul at Reichenberg.
At 2 A. M. the Paris bureau of THE TIMES reported it had been unable to telephone to the Moscow bureau. The call had been rejected on the ground that “the wires are down between Warsaw and Moscow.”
The British Postoffice then reported that its direct line to Moscow was “dead” and subsequent efforts by the London bureau of THE TIMES to reach the Soviet capital through Berlin, Warsaw, Stockholm and Riga were also unsuccessful. The British Postoffice could offer no explanation for the failure of the telephone and apparently operators in the other capitals named rejected calls with the terse official reply, “We cannot get them.”
STETTIN, Germany, June 12 (AP). – Rudolf Hess, deputy leader of the Nazi party, accused Czechoslovakia today of being a menace to the peace of Europe.
He asserted the little republic was in a condition “practically akin to a state of war.”
With Chancellor Hitler listening attentively, Herr Hess spoke at a great rally of natives of Pomerania.
He paid tribute to Hitler as one who “alone is to be thanked that Europe is not in flames” as the result of Czechoslovak acts.
In the same breath, however, he issued a warning that Germany’s love for peace must not be trifled with.
Herr Hess spoke pointedly concerning Czechoslovakia but studiously avoided mentioning her name.
“Seldom has the fate of a people been played with so lightly as in the last eventful weeks in whose limelight stands a State which exists only owing to the sham of Versailles and, thanks to this sham, has been able to throw the world into confusion,” he said.
“The solemn promises that were given minorities in that State were broken.
“Minorities have been deprived of rights, terrorized and ill-treated. With increasing horror non-Czech nationals are being struck, clubbed or shot down repeatedly only because they are not Czechs.
“It is crystal clear to all:
“First, that this State obviously is not in a position to preserve peace and order within its boundaries and is not in a position to protect the lives of its citizens.
“Second, this nation has become the seat of danger to the peace of Europe.
“It is a threat to Europe’s peace if there is a certain mobilization – a mobilization without the slightest basis.
“But this State not only mobilizes but a condition has set in along the borders of this Republic that is practically akin to a state of war.
“One provocation against neighbors follows another.”
[Czechoslovakia called up a class of reserves and manned her borders May 21 on the eve of the first in a series of three municipal elections. The action followed pre-election disorders, during which two Sudeten Germans were killed, and a tension over the reported movement of German troops toward Czechoslovakia.]
Herr Hess said Czechoslovakia’s announced basis for such “a dangerous act” as the mobilization was on an “uninvestigated and completely false rumor” of German troop movements.
Europe and the world has no one but Hitler to thank that this “play with horrible war” did not lead to conflict, the Fuehrer’s general representative went on.
He rebuked “States who have influence” on Czechoslovakia, undoubtedly referring to Britain and France, for not “bringing Czechoslovakia promptly to reason.”
Repudiating those who “believe Hitler could aspire to war and destruction,” Herr Hess said:
“Hitler knows war. He knows it would mean the end to all his peaceful plans.
“He knows even more that a European war would mean the end of Europe’s culture.”
Herr Hess emphasized that the German people wanted war “as little as ever.”
The offer was refused flatly by the Jewish community and work on dismantling the property promptly was undertaken Thursday when workmen proceeded to erect scaffolding.
The building was erected at a cost of 1,200,000 marks, and its assessed value for taxation is 700,0000 marks.
It has been merely in abeyance during the last few weeks. Nothing has been settled, nor is an agreement upon the real points of difference between Germany and Czechoslovakia appreciably nearer than it has been. Now that the precise strength of the Sudeten Germans vis-à-vis the Czechoslovak majority has been determined at the polls and the Whitsuntide truce is over, action may be expected.
This comes at a time when Great Britain has acute problems elsewhere – for instance, the bombing of British shipping in Spanish ports by airplanes only nominally Spanish and the indiscriminate slaughter of Chinese noncombatants by Japanese aircraft, which British public opinion, if a way could be found, would rejoice to end before Hong Kong itself is imperiled.
The shipping problem will be considered by the Cabinet tomorrow, but so far as can be ascertained no plan of action has been prepared and the Cabinet is not likely to produce one that will be effective. Advices from the Continent indicate that both Germany and Italy have come to the conclusion that there is nothing to be feared in this respect.
The spotlight of public interest has flitted recently from country to country and from one point of international disturbance to another. Nevertheless, in informed circles the greatest fear is still focused upon the center of Europe. Although the negotiations between Premier Milan Hodza of Czechoslovakia and Konrad Henlein, leader of the Sudeten Germans, will continue and may drag along for some time, there is the greatest pessimism regarding their ultimate outcome, this notwithstanding the somewhat strained attempt of the British press to view them from the most favorable standpoint. The utmost that is really hoped for is that the Germans will continue talking for a while longer with the idea of stirring up the opinion of the world against the Czechs. Skillful propaganda has already made some progress in this respect.
Continuance of the talks is welcomed, however, even from this viewpoint. July and August are perilous months in Central Europe. The harvest is then assured and by August has been mostly gathered in. If the conversations can be prolonged until September, there will be less danger of an outbreak which would endanger all. The German harvest promises well and must be safely garnered before military adventures are likely to be considered. There will remain afterward only a few short weeks of real danger before the approach of Winter should make the Continent safe for another year.
Unfortunately, that does not affect the prospects of a lasting settlement. Justifiably or not, the feeling prevails here that German policy seeks not a settlement with Czechoslovakia, but rather a continuing grievance that can be made acute at the Reich’s convenience and thus become an excuse for action. There is little doubt in the best-informed circles that only the firmness of the British and the French Governments averted positive German action recently.
Germany is still in an insufficient state of preparedness for a general war and is therefore unlikely to take any chance of provoking one. But that holds good only for the immediate present. Next year or the following year may tell a different story, and as yet German rearmament is keeping steadily ahead of both British and French efforts in that direction.
Even today, except in the matter of reserve materials, Germany is regarded by the best authorities as appreciably stronger and better prepared than either of the two other Western Continental powers. Hence the anxiety with which any possible incident that nationalistic propaganda may make grave is viewed here and the apprehension that is created by the continuing Central European deadlock.
Somebody should show this to Obama’s people.
Also in this issue:
Moscow Phones Cut Off From European Capitals
HESS SAYS CZECHS ARE PEACE MENACE
[Hess] paid tribute to Hitler as one who “alone is to be thanked that Europe is not in flames” as the result of Czechoslovak acts.
Move over Jimmy Carter - I smell a Nobel Peace Prize for Adolf!
Police Charge Irish Hecklers
Munich’s Main Synagogues Being Wrecked by Nazis
MID-EUROPE STRAIN EXPECTED TO GROW
This stuff you post from the NYT is great,Homer.Maybe you’d also post stories filed by Pulitzer Prize winner Walter Duranty.Hearing again how idyllic the Ukraine was during the 20’s and 30’s and hearing about how all those “enemies of the people” deserved exactly what they got in Stalin’s courts would be of interest to me,at least.
I did post a story about a mass treason trial from 3/4/38. This one was written by somebody named Harold Denny. It actually seemed like fairly straight reporting, considering it was written in Moscow and probably had to be approved by the Sovs. I tried a search for the title, “Soviet Aide Asserts Guilt, Again Reversing Himself,” but it didn’t come up. It is posted on my profile page in alphabetical order. Go to the “Links” link.
Just sayin'...
I think the title is fine. But then again, I’m not anal enough to argue about something most anyone can figure out if they think about it for half a second.
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