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12/14/1957 - Hairbreadth Hans: Election, Part III by David Binder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION INSTITUTE OFiCURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS DB Plockstrasse Hairbreadth Hans Electlon Part III Giessen Germuy December Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue York York Dear Rr Rogers Remembering Hans Merten prophecy flfty flfty outcome District election I decided couple other election predictions before balloting Herman Stein F D leader gloomy outlook He Social Democrat lerten would Erststimme On Zweltstlmme Stein continued Christian Democrats would sUbstantial gains We Free Democrats ought about secozd At D P F V P headquarters charge Ludwig Suth civil engineer He predicted friend Schneider would Erststimme mainly country Suth added voting turnout would At S P D headquarters skinny little Heinle Beese running He emerged Sovlet Zone polltlcal prlson short while before Said Beese Merten And Zweltsimme There W C Fields story about refused drink Happy Buzzard Saloon because Election Day The bartender That Fields asked Who The reply people Said Fields carrying democracy A buzzard could enjoyed Election Day Germany September oreover German voters their ballots In America where taverns election turnout polls Of course might coincidence It quiet Sunday voters appeared dressed church whether The polling stations schools banks office buildings Ou tside different parties their posters The polls employees I asked whether anyone suspected corrupt practices Eever several German civil servant prides himself honesty I believed In atmosphere which prevailed Giessen polling statlons seemed remarkably compared Xmerica Furthermore thewe nnocence about voting machin which astonishing Voting booths curtained would voter marked ballot As voter entered polls showed voting regls tration A worker handed envelope ballot He pasteboard booth marked sealed envelope Then shoved enveAope checker crossed Sunday vOtin registration After cardboard ballotbox perfect ballot stuffing A German proverb Wer Die Wahl Qual He choice t0rmen Giessen voters September One could bending their ballots Scratehlng thelrheads mlnds still madeup Some stayed utesat booths Tally Bymoon third And polls closed registered voters District exerczed right sufferage The tallying started immediate Around corner polling station counting The board cnaiEan dozen botbles plate sadwiches Then Drotocol counting procedure He seven assistants axously counted envelopes checked total against registra llsts The chair sighed rellef tallleS drink Intot After assistants began opening ballots handing chairman The marks ballot aloud The tally hours Then there recount The results attending counting I could several interesting trends Almost S P D ballots straight ticket votes whereas voters picked D P F V P first usually marked C D U column second Also herewas percentage voters first blank simply marked C D U second In meantime results beginning atclty election headquarters first Gissen stations later country areas Managing headquarters Giessen ebullient little mayor Alfred 0sswald Ludwi Schneider early Erststimme Giessen results obtained Vote Hans Merten Mayor 0sswald stalwart S P D looked miserable entered press tally sheet Then I0 reports Giessen County giving Merten majorlty Schneider still leading 0sswald other S P D supporters smiles evening A minutes later Alsfeld County reported Scl metder Merten The S P D faces clouded At Merten leading overall barely votes FVe polling stattoxs Gtessen still reported During minutes Merten dwindled report arrived At uarter reports arrived temporary estlmates Schneider suddenly votes Mayor 0sswal entourage forth Thirty thlrty painful painful 0sswald repeating It hopeful cried He answered nervous laughter 0sswald aides tally sheets combed columns errors They In lowing changed between Merten Schneider times Then final reports questionable stations They Social Democrat Hans Merten hairsbreadth margin votes Hs flfty fifty forecast Was accurate Eighty eighty shouted Mayor 0sswald dnced Jig He clapped beret rushed S P D headquarters congratulate Hazes Merten The victor bathed sweat SIC transit Schneider party worker We stayed listen radio broadcasts ederal election headquarters Bou Adenauer frlsnds rollig decisive victory atthe expense Free DLmocrats other splinter parties The S P D making minute gains stand Merten victory never announced It Post Mortem There cause unconfined parties District except C D U Every other licking Following tally party party Direct Vote ststimm Party Vote Zweitstlmme SPD CDU DP Fg P FDP Ii GB BHE As tabulation Hans Merten direct total larger party Zweitstimme On party C D U gained clear majority With votes Of course S P D improvement standing Ers_tstimme Zweitsti However second C D U phenomenal standing lieanwhiIe personal pulling power Ludwig Schneider demonstrated amazing D P F V Also D P F V P obviously benefite Zweltstlmme The party giined nifTy votes number explained partly J P D K effect 0berburgenester ouster The Indutria white Offhhd Socialist Rest stays conservative Giessen voters The F D suffered grievous losses District nation large The tabulation shows Baron Ghlmn total Erststinme F D On party F DP years Indeed S F D C D U gains reckon losses Free Democrats Fially Refugee Party GB BHE experienced heavy losses compariso totals On direct party That general trend Bun desrepublik showed refugees assimilated large parties As result election district S P D Merten Bundestag Baron Khlmann Hesse party place And Ludwig Schneider forced resume local practice The F D P Hermann Stein called these shots election forecast After election I asked acquaintances voted Their answers provided interesting cross sectlon Distrlct voting Reimund Domogalla DB devout Catholics sensitive church views S P D voted Erststlmme blank Zweitstine C D U They explained V Schne deranthere Professor Wolf Rektor Giessen University DB voted Social Democratic across board So young teacher Erwin Lic DB bosomy woman sells newspapers barber Dr Siebel DB Hilfsschule Several students members student duelling fraternit necessarily Protestant voted D P F V P lists Vny So Protestants Adenauer coalltion Other Protestants Pastor Tronnnershausen DB split their tickets Schneider first C D U second Voting minister Rektor Frank chillerschule DB Similarly Catholics split their ballots among teacher Iikolaus Weidenb6rner School Superintendent Adam Scheurer DB A middle class voters Therese Kalbfleisch DB stayed F D P Finally there friends Stammtlsch table tavern Sun reserved group drinkers every Friday night Erich Decker DB comrade Hermann Dinges chose radical rlght Deutsche Relchs Partel Their reasons these What there stand Catholics C D U We think Schneider traitor F D P DB The Free Democrats stirnk after Lord And Socialists There other choice D R P One further reaction necessary round sampling It teacher Ten years I house I Eow I house I Eaturally I voted party C D U brought The politioal future District means defined eAsction It clear S P D regular voters It quite plain C D U stronger In stand between S P D would surely Despite heavy setbacks experienced Free Democrats still early count And asthey around Social Democrats chance split right middle As Ludwig Schneider fated D P F V P seems likely supporters migrate another great parties In months following eiCtion Schneider party colleagues registered sorts complaints election commission One result immediate recount under super vision Mayor 0sswald This recount Hans Merten votes majority original number Among complaints accused S P D hnlafully influencing voters This brought special investigation which resulted nothing At writing federal examining committee still rummaging among District tally sheets search errors But seems unlikely major changes occur This conceded Giessen known lawyer called Bundesludwig Federal Lou He called LudWi Schneider David Binder