The Fox in the Coop

Hitler's New Order was put to the vote in occupied Denmark last week. For reasons best known to themselves, the Germans permitted the Danes to hold parliamentary elections. The result was the biggest vote in Danish history and a smashing rebuke to the Nazi overlords--a boomerang to the Germans, who, also for reasons of their own, had taken care to advertise the elections to the world.

Public electioneering by press and radio, distribution of posters and leaflets were banned. But the issue was clearly drawn. "Say No to Germany" was the BBC-borne advice from Free Danish leaders in London. The Germans presumably thought the elections would be good propaganda for their New Order, which is supposed to give non-Germans a better break than they have had up to now in Europe. Perhaps, too, they even hoped to boost the prestige of Danish Nazi leader Fritz Clausen. On the second count, at least, they were dismally wrong.

Altogether the six anti-Nazi parties obtained 1,941,600 votes, almost 400,000 more than they got in 1939, and increased their seats in the powerless Rigsdag lower house from 137 to 143. The Germans deliberately kept the German minority (Schleswig) party out of the campaign, and the Danish pro-Nazi elements lost three of eight seats. Instead of praise for Germany's benign treatment, Dr. Goebbels reaped humiliating acclaim for Denmark's adherence to the democratic ideal.

Numerically the Social Democrats (Labor party) registered the greatest gain, getting 894,650 votes, an increase of 23% since 1939. But the vote was also a great tribute to the Conservative Party's leader, lion-maned John Christmas Moeller, who made a dramatic escape to England several months ago. His party's 421,050 votes represented the greatest proportionate advance, with a rise of 40%. Commented Mr. Moeller: "I have always said that only 3% of the Danish populations are pro-German."

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