Berlin: Following through at last on the
long-threatened maneuver, President Paul von Hindenburg and Chancellor Heinrich
Bruening invoke Article 48 of the German constitution – the “emergency decree”
provision – to enact the Bruening cabinet’s package of emergency taxes and
other financial reforms without Reichstag approval. It’s the first time the emergency decree
provision has been invoked. The
constitution allows for the unusual step in instances where “the public safety
and order in the German Reich are disturbed or endangered.”
The chain of
events starts this way: the Reichstag, which has been wrangling with Bruening’s
cabinet for weeks over the measures, votes them down, 256-204. After this the communists in the Reichstag
begin shouting, “Resign! Resign!” at Bruening, who shouts back, “In the name of
the government I must now declare that it no longer places any value on
continuation of debate.”
Bruening’s cabinet
then holds an hour-long meeting, during which they vote unanimously to invoke
Article 48. Bruening then goes to
Hindenburg, who signs the decree enacting the measure as law.
The decree does
not dissolve the Reichstag. That step is
covered by a separate article of the constitution. But Hindenburg reportedly has already given
Bruening a signed decree to dissolve the Reichstag if he needs it.
He may. The Socialists have already announced their
intent to bring a motion before the Reichstag tomorrow declaring the use of
Article 48 illegal. If it passes, it’s
expected that Bruening would then use Hindenburg’s decree to dissolve the
body. Ironically, the nationalists are
expected to vote against the socialists’ measure, or at least abstain,
ostensibly just to spite them, and thus may help uphold Bruening’s
government. But much hinges on what
happens in the Reichstag tomorrow.
Meanwhile, at the
state level of government, Prussia lifts its ban on the Stahlhelm paramilitary
after Hindenburg said he wouldn’t attend any Rhineland liberation celebrations
there because of it (see yesterday). The
Stahlhelm’s leadership made the decision easier by promising not to allow
military training exercises by its members.
Prussia’s ban was based on its official view that the Stahlhelm is
essentially a military organization. Lifting
the ban means Hindenburg will resume his plans to attend celebrations in
Prussian towns.
New York: More bad economic news -- the Annalist magazine’s monthly index of
business activity falls to its lowest level since 1924.
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