Ja (1946)

There were echoes of 1935 and 1938 plebiscites in Russian-occupied Saxony last week. Hitler never loaded a question more heavily than that which the Russians put to German voters: "Do you agree to the law for the transfer of the plants of militarist and Nazi criminals into the hands of the people?"

Few Germans dared express their own questions. Why was there no list of factories affected? Hadn't the Allies already confiscated all Nazi property months ago? Was not the real issue at stake the nationalization of all private industrial property?

Said Der Tagesspiegel, the U.S.-licensed Berlin newspaper: "Parties elected by nobody have issued a law, and the people are allowed to say 'Yes.' And still the people do not know to what they are agreeing. . . ."

Wrote a Saxon Social Democrat: "We are living here as in the days of Hitler. I shall write on my ballot 'What are you trying to put across with this nonsense?' "

On Monday morning Russia proudly announced that 77.7% had voted Ja. Hitler had trained the Saxons well.

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