News of the Week
THE election of the new Reichstag in Germany was solemnly celebrated in the Garrison Church at Potsdam on Tuesday amidst a pageantry which recalled designedly much that was most characteristic of the pre-War military Germany, after which the Reichstag itself met in the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, re-elected Captain Goring as its Speaker, listened to a speech by him on the holy fire of the national revolution and the spirit of Potsdam, and then adjourned for two days. The next business was an Enabling Bill which, by entrusting plenipotentiary powers to the Cabinet for four years, would mean the Reichstag's own suicide. Difficulties. may arise regarding,. this.: for the -co-operation of the- Centre is necessary (even with all, the 81 Communists excluded from the Chamber) if the• Government is to secure the two-thirds majority necessary for a measure, which amends the Constitution. But no one supposes that it wilt make any serious difference- whether the required majority is obtained or not. Herr Hitler is in power, and with or without constitutional warrant he will, proceed. to mould Germany to his de- sires. , speech at Potsdam on Tuesday confined itself strictly to generalities, and it remains uncertain still whether the Government has in fact concrete proposals in the home and, foreign field or not. It is, obviously going to make all the difference whether the ideas of Captain Goring and Dr. Goebbels or those of Herr Hitler and his relatively sober Foreign and Finance Ministers carry the day.
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