NEWS OF THE WEEK
SO long as Herr Hitler can claim that virtually 90 per cent. of the population supports him in a national plebiscite he may be content to regard with some indiffer- ence the claim that the tide is shown to be turning against hiinf. the-size of the minority-vote, 4,294,654 against 38,362,760, is surprising in view of the terrific propaganda campaign and the risks incurred, particu- larly in country districts, by anyone suspected of voting No. In the towns the secrecy of the vote was less mis- trusted, whichwas no doubt the reason why the vote in such places as Hamburg ran as high as twenty per cent. against the Government. Actually the approval of the Nazi regime was distinctly less decisive than the numbers would suggest, for it must be assumed that the spoilt papers, running. into nearly a million, were deposited by voters adverse to the Government who did not venture to go so far as voting No. - In addition, the voting, it must be remembered, was for Herr Hitler himself, not for his Government, and his personal popu- larity is Still undiminished. General Goring's threats of new measures to secure the unity of all Germans behind the-regime are disturbing, but in spite of them murmurings . against the Government- seem likely to increase unless a policy of frank conciliation is followed. Herr Hitler himself has been at pains to express his gratitude to the Reichswehr, " the sole bearer of arms in the Nation,"- and the implied subordination of the Brown Army to the regular force is not emphasized without intention. .
