The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-21
G0VERNMENTISIN
SERIOUS TROUBLE
Even Loyal Portion of Press
Admits It's Predica-
ment.
BUDGET COMPLETE FAILURE
Large Deficit Is Fatal to Reac-
tionary Majority in
Rcichstag.
BUDGET COMPLETE FAILURE
By FREDERICK wERNEn.

b1 FRIED ISICK WERNER.
Especial Cable to The Times-Dlsparch.
Berlin. May 20.-The German govern
ment is In serious trouble. and even
that part OF the press which has
hitherto Loyalty supported its policy
now admits chat the trouble, in part
ct least, is Of the governments own
making.
The budget made by the chancellor
OF the empire upon the / mes Indicated
by "the blue-biack block, hat is 10
say, the coalition between the reac-
tionary clergy and the ultra-conser-
valve large land owners. has proved n
complete failure, the taxes having
failed to realize anything like the
amounts hoped for. and this in spite
OF the fact that the fiscal year of 1910
has been a very prosperous one for
German commerce. The new taxes will
never again stand a better chance;
they brought all they possibly could
bring. All taxes on wh'skey. beer. on
illumination. matches and checks have
realized only a small percentage of
What the chancellor had calculated on.
The large defc't thus created is not
only fatal to the present reactionary
majority in the Reichstag, but it also
shows that as a result of the govern
inent's reckless policy the purchasing
power of the German people has ma
terially decreased. The people simply
cannot bear any more burdens; the
limit was reached a year ago, and
when new y were imposed in a mad
effort on the art of the government
TO create a surplus in the treasury, to
be used as a convincing election argu-
ment this year. the people, unable to
refuse TO pay the taxes, were forced 10
reduce their living expenses. which
means that the whole nation as OF one
accord bought less, limiting their pur-
chaees to the absolute ncceesaries of
life.
The reactionary party now In power
is in a hole. They admit this among
themselves. and consequently they are
making the most strenuous efforts to
turn the attention OF the voters away
from the consequences OF their selfish
policy.
This Is the only reason h they
have persistently been trying to make
capital of every insignificant diplo-
matte affair. as, for in7tancc. during
the time when France was celebrating
as to what action to take In Morocco.
In reality they did not even dare hope
that their bluff would be successful.
for the German people have shown
plainly enough that they do not want
to be mixed up in Moroccan anairs
as long as France keeps within the
spirit of the Alseciras treaty. and no.
body ever believed that France intend
ed TO violate. this at a time when its
new Cabinet had all it could do to
maintain order In the champagne dis
tricts.
Having failed here, the German Con-
servativcs threatened the Liberals with
the knife at the coming election. as
they nave repeatedly done. for IN
stance. in Prussian local elections. with
the disastrous result that they have
given the Socialists twenty-five new
'Wahlmaenner. and created a strongly
united Liberal block which at the
coming R%eichstag elections will dc
hitherto almighty "b~lue-black block"
In Russia political interests arc no
longer centred round the Prime Min
ister. who is really dead politically.
Now the all-important question is. Will
the man who must succeed NJ. Sasan-
off as Minister of Foreign Affairs be
| capable of filling this exceedingly diff
fcult position? Sasanon, the com
p ratively unknown young man. who
took UP a most dificult task. after 81.
Isvolsky. his predecessor, had been
bounded to death by the press. showed
from the very start signs, not Of dip:
tomato genius. but of the strong I'M
pulse OF youth towards lofty aims.
which in a wonderfully short time won
the full confidence and even admira-
t!on OF the Gear.
But he w: S tripped up at the very
outset of his career by the Potsdam
interview. which. however. was an aft
fair planned and prepared long before
his time. He was to have shown his
real metal by visits TO London and
Paris just after Easter. but sickness
80 t,t-, a ~ aIybap1I. htS dor
tors hold GU, some hope of his re-
| covery. they do SO only on two condi-
t!ons-ffrst, he must spend q consid-
trable time In the South. and repair
thithcr as soon as h physical condi-
ton will allow him. Secondly. lie must
avoid the incIement climate of st. Pc
tersburg as much as possible ever az
ter. That verdict denotes the prema-
ture close OF a career that might rave
been brilliant.
The question OF his successor is
more iH~oincntous. more fatefui. than
any other that has arisen since the
Reval interview. Although IN foreign
affairs the Gar is Russia, stili. very
much depends upon the personality Of
him who VII! translate the Emperor'a
ideas and wishes into political acts.
And not only is there nobody In evi-
dence as a candidate yet. but the Rus
sian corpa d!plomhtique lacks a single
Individual Of whom It can be truly sa
that ne is at once rual!ned and willing
10 accept the invidious post. Both
Count B~enckendorff End NJ. Isvolsky
you'd decline on grounds which the
Emperor you understand and re-
spcct. III the ranks Of active diplomacy
there IL nobody who's both able and
willing.
In Pari6 r certain uneas!ness is felt
or tho subject. although neither for
ma.iy nor Informally has any question
be-n pu, or al!ution made to the topic,
In Vienna and Berlin keen interest is
felt IN diplomatic regions and dis
PLACED IN the journalistic domain.
According to Senior Chagas, the
French ambassador OF tho Portuguese
republic to France. who has spoken