The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-19
CURIOSITY MAY
SETTLE MOROCCO
GERMAN CITIZEN Is BEGINNING TO
ASK WHAT THE ROW Is
ABOUT.
CLERGY IN POLITICS
OF INTERIOR DECLARES
WAR ON MOTOR HOUSE
BIG CAPITAL ENTERS
TLRfAEh.
Steven Burnett.

BERLIN. Sept l8.r-Cnder ordi-
nary circumstances the average Ger
man citizen Is not greatly Interested
In the foreign politics of his country.
! lie is satisned II he is allowed to run
his business without Interference, and
asks no questions II the police do not
/ try to curtaIl his personal freedom or
close his cafes or beer gardens too
i early. lie thinks it only right and
I proper that the Kaiser, whom he
knows to be q safe guardian OF Ger
Inan3@s national honor and dignity
piay5a the game Of foreign politics
with Fthe diplomatic Representatives
Of other countries undisturlsd by In
qGisitiVe questions 1t takes d good
deal to arouse his curiosity to action.
The constant war seares he reads
about in d certain part of the press
do not. as q rule, make him excited,
but the Morocco muddle has now last
ed so long and the leading articles In
the papers have been so confusing that
he is beginning to ask, what this
thing really means
He sees In his daily paper that a
serious crisis Is at hand, and notices
stock quotations ON the Berlin ex-
change fluttering wildly. He has seen
the French ambassador to Berlin
rushing away TO Paris to receive YER
L..
While his own Minister Of Foreign
Affairs is enjoying a few weeks rest
in the country and he Is unable to
make these two facts jihe. lie il told
that France is preparing to so TO
war rather than consent to the de-
mands Of Observation-Disclosures which
he knows nothing about except that
he is told that they are SO reasonable
that they are really unworthy of Ger
many, AS the strongest power in Eu-
rope, and no IS ultimately tolC that II
Is all the fault of England, which is
Germany's only real enemy. As a re-
suit OF all this strange muddle his
brain begins TO whirl, and he feels
himself becoming excited very much
against his viii
Now he wants to know definitely
why he cannot be permitted to ENJOY
his beer and his pipe In peace. and
the very fact that the masses Of the
people, who are TO bear the hrunt OF
the battles in case OF a war demand
to know what the whole fuss is about,
may have a SOLDERING influence upon
politicians and editors. and bring
about a prompt settlement or the Mo-
rocco question. which no sensible Ger
man thinks it worth while resorting
TO swords and bullets Il solve.
Clergy In Politics.
One OF the most remarkable feat
ures IF the present political campaign
In Germany. which IS tho forerUnner
Of the geLSral elections. - the in
creasing Interest which cIergy1nen OF
all creeds arc taking in political itfe,
No fewer than forty-four pastors and
priests have already announced them
selves as candidates, and OF this num-
her TWEEN ty-seven are Professionals ana
seventeen Catholics.
Hitherto the representation of the
active clergy In the Imperial Par
Lament has been confined 70 the
priests Of the Catholic church. who
total twenty IN the present house and
belong to the conter party. or the
tWenty-sevea Protestant clergy who
are how seeking election nineteen
profess adherence 10 the principles
Of various Liberal groups Wife tie
remaining eight lean TO the ConserYa-
tive side,
There has been considerable discus.
SIGN recently as to tho propriety az
active clergymen participating In mar
liam entary work. 1t has been ar
gued that by doing so they mast neg
iect their spiritual lahors, that poll
teal craftsmanship may intiueuce them
against certain members Of their flock
and. further, that platform agitation
Is unseemly for them. These argu
lnents have called forth tho reply that
members OF other hard working Dro-
LESSONS find time for politics. that
partisanship does not affect private
Office and that the clergynen's In
huence In electloneering work oan only
tend to its Improvement.
The clergy also make the pofnts
that, in view Of the agitation for sep
aration OF church and state. they have