The results of the German referendum and elections to the Reichstag yesterday show, as was expected, an overwhelming majority for Herr Hitler. A less expected result of the elections is the number of Germans who have dared to vote against Herr Hitler╒s policy.
The electors were asked to say in the referendum whether they approved of Herr Hitler╒s decision that Germany should leave the League of Nations and the Disarmament Conference. In the elections to the Reichstag they were simply asked to vote for the Nazi list. There were no candidates to vote for but Nazis.
Provisional final figures issued early this morning gave the following results:╤
ELECTION
Per cent
Nazis............... 39,655,288 ... 92.2
Invalid votes.... 3,352,289 ... 7.8
Total votes....... 43,007,577
REFERENDUM
Per cent
╥Yes╙............... 40,618,147 ... 93.4
╥No╙ ............... 2,055,363 ... 4.7
Invalid votes...... 790,910 ... 1.9
Total votes....... 43,464,420
Chancellor Hitler spent the evening listening to the radio for the election results. President von Hindenburg, instead of retiring early as usual, stayed up with members of his family.
NAZIS╒ HOUSE-TO-HOUSE CALLS
One of the new methods used by the Nazis in the elections was a rigorous house-to-house call during the day to ascertain whether the occupants had voted. The same reason was given throughout Germany: ╥We do this because Germany╒s right to exist is now a question of to be or not to be.╙
In the Stuhm district of East Prussia, where the inhabitants are mostly of Polish extraction, the referendum vote was nearly 100 per cent against the Government╒s policy, whilst the votes in the election were all invalid.
HOSPITAL PATIENTS╒ ╥NO╙
At a Jewish hospital in Berlin, 120 Reichstag votes were cast. Seventy of them were for the Nazi list, while 50 were invalid. In the referendum 122 votes were cast, of which 101 were ╥Yes,╙ 12 ╥No,╙ and 9 invalid.
The first official result from a town came from Neuss, where 36,256 votes were cast in the Reichstag election ╤ that is, 98 per cent. Of these 35,583 went to the Nazi party. This would indicate that as compared with the last election nearly 20,000 supporters of the other parties had gone Nazi.
CONCENTRATION CAMPS╒ VOTE
At the concentration camp of Osthofen, near Frankfort, of the 88 inmates entitled to vote 79 voted ╥Yes╙ on the referendum question and endorsed the Reichstag list.
At the Brandenburg concentration camp out of 1,137 votes in the election 1,006 were for the Nazi party. In the referendum 1,024 inmates voted ╥Yes╙ and twelve ╥No.╙
In the Oranienburg camp 301 prisoners out of 377 voted for the Nazi party, while 330 said ╥Yes╙ to the referendum and 33 ╥No.╙
An amnesty for political prisoners is regarded as probable in view of the ╥splendid demonstration of faith in Hitler.╙
The voting was especially brisk in the Rhenish-Westphalian industrial districts, formerly a Communist stronghold. By noon 90 per cent of the electorate had been to the poll.
LAST ELECTION╒S FIGURES
The figures in the last election, on March 5, for the Reichstag which is now dissolved ╤ i.e., the Reichstag elected almost immediately after the advent of the Nazi party to power ╤ were as follows:╤
Total votes cast ........... 39,655,029
Valid votes ............... 39,343,331
These votes were apportioned as follows:╤
For the Nazis ............. 17,277,180
For other parties .......... 22,068,151
Votes for other parties included: 7,181,629 for the Social Democrats, 4,848,058 for the Communists, 4,424,905 for the Centre Catholic party, 3,136,760 for the German Nationalists, and 1,073,552 for the Bavarian people╒s (Bavarian Catholic) party. The number of citizens entitled to vote was 44,685,764.
