The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-01-07

News Servtce,b
~ STEVEN BURNETT.
Berlin, Jan THE imposition of
Ollie clergy of Germany is beginning
to cause considerable trouble This
oath obliges all Catholic priests TO de-
clare their allegiance TO the tradi-
tional dogmas and doctrines OF the
church, and to promise TO teach only
such doctrines 10 their fiocks as are
contained in the decisions of the Ecu
menical councils ana recognized creed
From Munich il is reported four
professors of theology at the univer-
sity of that city have resigned their
pastoral functions in order to escape
taking this OATH that a Catholic cler-
gyman has reclined to take the oath
and that professor has completely
severed connection with the church
as a protest against the action Of
the Papal Nuncio. The great major
ity, however, of the teaching staff of
the faculty of Catholic Theology have
z
antees.
| Rumors are afloat in Dresden that
! in the Catholic court circles there is
much chagrin felt at the Vatican's
treatment of Prince Max, and that
| the king especially is greatly irritated
1t is even said that King Frederick
August, never at any time an enthusi-
astic Catholic, is considering whether
he should not transfer his allegiance
to the church to which a vast major
ity of his subjects belong.
Among he many important subjects
which will be discussed by the Reich
stag when it meets again after it's
Christmas vacation is the unearned in
crement tax on ground values. 1t is
meeting with fierce opposition from
owners and from the building trades,
but the government cannot do without
it. 1t will provide at least half of a
dreadnought year, and the Reichstag
has already sanctioned the tax in
principle.
More interesting than the work of
the session is the temper of parties,
which is very near dangerpoint. The
Conservatives are calling for excep-
tional laws to draw the Socialists
teeth and claws before the coming
elections give them a chance to be
dangerous, and there will be fierce
struggle when the changes, which
the Imperial Chancellor has .announc-
ed in the existing criminal procedure
and the law against agitation, are
made public.
| Both are openly aimed at the So
cialists. The penalties for political
incendiarism are to be sharpened and
the forms of criminal procedure short
ened, presumably in order to make
such exposures of authority as the
Moabit trial impossible
Nothing probably shows better how
great is the need of a thorough re-
form of German criminal court pro-
cedure than the famous or infamous
trial of the Moabit rioters, which has
now lasted for more than six weeks
and there is still considerable testi-
mony to be taken.
| There is possibility of the trial
coming to an end in a week or ten
days, but even if this happens most
of the weeks, and fifteen weeks in a
German prison is a torture even if
you are detained as witness.
| Most of the accused are being tried
for nothing more serious than to have
called the police bad names.
| Those who are found guilty of this
heinOus offense will have some re-
duction of sentence granted them as
compensation for their three months
captivity. ANY who may be acquitt-
ed will have spent this time in the
prison for no offense whatever.
f! 1t is true that the trial is being pro-
longed now at the instigation of the
defense, which is making capital out
of the exposure of the stupid violence
and futility Of the police methods. But
the prisoners had been several weeks
in durance, in nearly all cases on tri-
val charges before they saw their
judges.
| In letter to personal friend, an
officer in which the Crown Prince
himself served, the future ruler of
Germany has expressed the opinion,
that if the Americans, with whom he
was forced to associate on shipboard
during his recent voyage to Ceylon,
are fair specimens of the race. then
Americans must be the most unbear-
able snobs in the world. The Crown
Prince and his wife had looked for
ward to the trip with great anticipa-
tons. as a short period of happiness
during which they would be allowed
to act as ordinary human beings, free
| from all the etiquette of Court and
! from the presence of disgusting sy
! cnnhants hut the Americans who are