Nazi Groups Score Gains in Provincial Elections in Lower Saxony

Known Nazis were elected to office and nearly-over Nazi groups scored gains in this week-end’s state elections in Lower Saxony Province, it became known here today as final results were announced.

The nearly-open neo-Nazi German Retch Party attracted 127,000 votes, increased its percentage of the total vote from 2.2 four years ago to 3,8 and increased the number of seats in the provincial parliament from two to six.

The far right German Party, which took over the membership and in many cases the candidates of the Socialist Reich Party, dissolved by the Bonn Government as unconstitutional, increased its share of the total vote to 12,4 and the number of its parliamentary seats to 20. It was this party’s Berrien branch which held an election rally some months back at which several anti-Semitic incidents occurred.

The Free Democratic Party, a member of the governmental coalition in Bonn, is completely dominated in Lower Saxony by former Hitler Youth leaders and like-minded Nazi elements, Is obtained 7.9 percent of all the votes and 12 seats. In all the Lower Saxony leg statute has 161 seats.

While this line-up of ultra nationalist and Nazi leaders is heavy, there is one bright spot in the picture the absence of the Socialist Reich Party which four years ago obtained 11 percent of the votes Since then the party was banned.

The German Reich Party although the possessor of only six seats, may yet become an important polite cat factor in Lower Saxony despite the fact that two years ago the Adenauer Government tried to ban it. This may come about because of the failure of any of the older coalitions to gain an absolute majority. Every one of the six successful cased dates of this party is a militant Nazi including the former Nazi Minister-President of Oldenburg. Its principal speaker in the election campaign was Col. H. Rudel wartime flying ace and an unreconstructed Nazi.