(2 of 2)
Taking a chance that the Catholic Church would suffer in silence Rexist claims that it was not against Rexism, Orator Degrelle indulged in an orgy of this double negative, then took one chance too many by referring to "the silence of Malines." This brought His Eminence Joseph Ernest Cardinal van Roey, Primate of Belgium and successor to the War's famed Cardinal Mercier, wrathfully out of his Archbishop's Palace at Malines. He not only told the Catholic voters of Belgium in a formal statement that Rexism is "a danger to the country and the Church" but he issued an advance "rebuke" to anyone who cast a blank ballot. Under Belgian law every enfranchised male must vote. Many blank ballots were expected to be cast by such Catholics as consider the Premier too innovating a New Dealer. After the Primate had spoken everyone agreed, "Degrelle hasn't a chance."
Amid a drizzling rain 275,840 Brussels ballots went to van Zeeland, 69,242 to Degrelle and 18% were blank. This was "Victory for Democracy." It made Adolf Hitler so angry that his personal Berlin newsorgan Volkischer Beobachter told Germans: "The election result was falsified in advance by the statement from the Archbishop of Malines."
Although reporters found Rexist Degrelle looking utterly sunk and blaming his defeat on the lack of silence from Malines, his Fascist dander was soon up again, and Berlin was expected to pour heavy contributions into fresh efforts to turn Belgium Rexist. Exulted Victor van Zeeland: "The result has exceeded my wildest hopes! And now to work—all together, for King, Law and Liberty!"
First business at hand for Premier van Zeeland this week was International. Representatives of the "Oslo Group" arrived for four days of conference and Reich Economic Minister Hjalmar Schacht was due from a "World Bank" meeting at Basle to urge more traffic in raw materials between Belgium and Germany.