The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-11
KAISER'S RECENT
 SPEECH AT BEURON Gives German Press Much Food for Speculation TT WAS DIPLOMATIC All Available Horses Are Being Pur- chased for Turkish Cavalry and
 Artillery Service by Special
 Commissioners

1 Berlin, December 10.-(Special.)- .)-The Kaiser's recent speech in the Benedictine monastery at Beuron has given the Ger man press much food for speculation, not because 1t brought forward any new po- litical ideas, on the contrary it consisted mostly of truism and pletitudes. but be- cause it Is a proof that Emperor William has returned to a way of thinking which most people had thought he left far be- hind him, but which is easily understood in the light of recent revolutionary events which have made the heads of several European dynasties feel rather unsafe.
 The Kaiser is once more convinced that church and throne must stand shoulder to shoulder but his Prussian subjects at least are openly expressing their doubts as to whether the intimacy between the throne and the Roman Catholic church is beneficial to the monarchy. Too close cooperation between these two might seem quite natural in a Roman Catholic country like Portugal and still it was this intimacy that cost poor Manuel his throne. In Spain there is today no more important question than how to bring about a separation between church and state, for if this question Is solved AL phonso may hope to keep the crown on his head. How very small is the actual influence and hold of the church upon the masses of people even in a Catholic country was plainly shown in France, where the separation took place almost without any protests from anyone but the church itself
 In a country like Germany, where the Catholics are a comparatively small minority the church is apt to prove a very weak prop for the throne. Under existing circumstances an alliance be- tween the throne and the Catholic church merely means the elevating of the center to become the ruling political party, fact which Catholic papers have not been slow in emphasizing in commenting upon the Kaiser's monastery speech, but there is little doubt that the next elections will soon change this. Germany has after many struggles become one of the most progressive countries and neither church nor throne will be able to block the path Of progress.
 Another solution of the political difficult ties has almost simultaneously offered itself, and may still be adopted by Elm
 
 bilities to a ruler of the versatile mind. mean the one suggested by Herr Ser tnold Otto in his sensational book, "The Country of the Future-a Sacialistic Mon Earchy." The brilliant author openly asks the Kaiser to place himself at the head Of the socialist movement in Germany and go down in history as the founder of the | first socialstic empire.
 Herr Otto is well known as a writer on ...1 .1...- .-aTa. and his new book has aroused considera ; ble attention owing to the originality of the ideas expounded therein. Herr Otto is, of course, not a socialist himself-at least, not a democratic soeialist-but he believes in the amelioration of the condi- tions of life and labor of the masses on socialistic lines, and is convinced that eff fective reforms can only be produced by l benevolent despotism, and never by dem ocracy.
 Herr Otto argues that the United States, though the most democratic coun- try in the world, is also more oppressed by great combinations of capital than any other country; in this case, he says, polit- teal democracy runs side by side with so- cial slavery. In France too, political l freedom is accompanied by such social conditions that the masses have been driven to the verge of revolution. To avoid these evils, Herr Otto believes that the Kaiser should take the socialistic movement in hand, realize socialism un- Ger the auspices of the state and become l the hereditary president of a socialistic | empire Professor Zimmer and one or two other well known men have ex- pressed their approval of Herr Ottos book, and of the propositions contained therein.