as the recipients of the Chancellor’s final words of wisdom in the current campaign. The city, which is one of the Reich’s principal ports and which has been crippled more seriously than many others by the results of Nazi fanaticism, is expected to fall sullenly into line in the Sunday plebiscite, with recollections of the June 30 “blood purge” still fresh and with tales of concentration camp brutalities being whispered abroad.
Although there was no question that the German people would continue to play the puppet role in the referendum, foreign observers professed to see clear-cut signs that Nazi chieftains feared a less overwhelmingly favorable reaction at the polls than that which the Hitler regime enjoyed last November.
The furious intensity of the campaign for a totalitarian vote, commentators felt, was sired by a dark doubt in Nazi minds of their subjects’ enthusiasm for the “Hitler for President” program.
A profusion of editorial comment from newspapers in every portion of the world made it evident that the Hitlerites would fail in at least one important purpose —that of convincing other nations that a true solidarity of support for the mustached dictator exists within the Reich. Almost with-out exception the opinion repeatedly has been expressed that the so-called “free” plebiscite will be free in name only and that fear will dictate the balloting activities of the German citizenry.
DUTCH THREATEN CREDIT SEIZURE
Serious difficulties were envisioned in Holland’s avowed intention of seizing German credits to satisfy the claims of its nationals, which neared execution today. A drastically harmful effect on the already tottering Reich currency structure was seen as the inevitable result of the Dutch program.
Meanwhile Hamburg tonight went through the somewhat mechanical motions of a synthetic fervor, receiving apathetically the government order forbidding residents to strew pansies or other flowers in the Chancellor’s path when he appeared here. They were careful, however, to obey another order, which commanded them to display flags of welcome throughout the city in Hitler’s honor.
The polls will be open Sunday from 8 a. m. until 6 p. m.—an hour longer than usual—and machinery has been set in motion to enable German citizens who are at present abroad to cast their votes.
Official Nazidom took cognizance of the economic crisis in many ways. Women were asked to foreswear frills in their clothing and to save cloth wherever possible, by avoiding pleated dresses and evening gowns with trains and by using substitute materials for silks and other equally scarce textiles.
The food situation brought forth a ban on the use of potatoes for distilling purposes until Sept. 1, and all purchasers of large quantities of potatoes were ordered to submit copies of written contracts to the government.
PAPEN UPHOLDS “WILL”
Foreign skepticism aroused by Nazi publication of von Hindenburg’s “last will and testament,” praising Hitler, gave rise to the following statement from Franz von Papen, envoy to Austria:
“Unfriendly neighboring countries often have engaged in publishing mysterious conjectures about von Hindenburg’s testament, saying that Nazidom probably would never allow it to be published. I delivered this testament to Hitler the day before yesterday, and there is no better proof of the loyalty with which Der Fuehrer took over command in succession to the honored Field Marshal than the fact that he did not delay a moment in publishing this historical document.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
