The Washington herald., 1912-01-10
VARIOUS ISSUES UP
IN GERMAN ELECTION

Aeicnatag, the elections Tor Nnsch -.
approaching IN the fatherland. Il Is meet
to have q glance at the different matters
az issue there. retrospect offers some
curious contrssta In 1906 Herr Won
Buelow tried his best to break the power
OF the clericala. and q Conservative
Liberal combine was formed In the house
at that session with that object In view.
The clefieais had declined 10 grant tne
government tho entire military strength
ASKED ibF southwest Africa. They de-
feated Pflhee BHeiow. reducing the war
eudset for that colony by about io,ooo.-
600 FelehsmsFks, and. As the result, the
chancellor BFsmBtiy dissolved the Reich
stag, The election that followed became
historic, ewlRG 10 The patriotic enthusiasm
At the polls, the most telling result o.
which Sss the remarkable reduction oil
the Socialist seats from elshty-one 70
forty.three,
Won Buelew, IN the new Hslehstag. In
troduced his financial fefeFm bill Part
Of his scheme was the taxing ef inherit
anoes AZ the great landowners and Their
henehmen bitterly opposed that particular
reform, thus making HE further conduct
OF 9nalra impossible, he retired from Of
fee Ills successor IL Herr Won Beth
mann-IiollweR. husiow's very able and
astuto secretary for the colonies. Herr
DornburE. followed his chief into retire
ment The center was triumphant, the
Buelow coalitions were split irrevocably
ana new one was formed between the
Conservatives and the clerieals. against
which tho ''left'' was absolutely power
less. II was not until 1900 that this COM
blne carried an Imperial financial reform
bill, but without the inheritance clause,
Tor which were substituted a number of
Irritating taxes which have kept the
country In a ferment ever since.
The leading question now before the
nation Is: Shall the Socialists or the
Radicals. aided by the left wing OF the
National Liberals. return in sufficient
numbers 10 compel the government to
adopt more democratic financial policy?
In this connection be Il said that the
financial position OF the empire Is not at
isfaetory, and the reform Of 1909 has done
little to improve matters. Until 1877 the
new German empire was in the fortu-
nate position to have no debt at all, to
speak OF, but owing to the increasing
burden Of the army. and especially OF
the ever-enlarging navy, this happy state
Of Affairs speedily came TO an end.
In 1880 the imperial debt was 36o. .o0O, ,ooc
marks; fve years later It was 5l0. .0o0. 900
marks; in 1906 II was $50, ,OoO. 900 marks.
and In 1910 II had swollen TO the gi-
gantio sum OF 500. 10000 marks.
In 1s72 the peace footing of the German
army was $4,000 men: in 1881 II was
ass. 900. and in 1880 II had swollen to
Coz. .Ooo. and in 1910 the estimates were
for s2s,7oo. The new law which provides
for the peace footing until 1916, raises
the number to over $4,000 Let US take
the item Of cost. OF army, navy, pension
fund, and interest on the debt: In 1872
the cost was 90. 10000 marks: last year
1t reached the gigantic sum OF 1.54O. 600 900
marks or 81 marks per head OF popula-
tion.
Between 1s72 and the year Of the last
census the population OF the empire in
creased 50 per cent, the peace footing of
the army "a per cent. the cost of national
defense go per cent. Conservatives and
National Liberals and a great part of the
Center maintain that. notwithstanding
these figures. Germans are not SO bur-
dened as other nations, but on the Left
there Is unaninity that this will paralyze
the nations vitality and bring chaos into
the national finances.
Coufning themselves to the navy alone.
they face an example OF the huge expendi-
ture against which the democracy OF Ger
many now is asked TO vote. In 1897. Just
before the introduction OF the first naval
bill, the expenditure on the navy was a
good bit less than 100000 marks. In
1911 il was considerably moro than 3S0.-
10000 marks. Is there another naval bill
in contemplation?
II is officially denied. but there are
ugly signs that one is coming. and the
events Of the past year will give the
government a powerful argument should
ii decide on a further increase. There
is an exceedingly powerful war party in
the country. and It's coming campaign is
not 10 be despIsed.
And now to the question Of taxation.
The Buelow scheme Of 1908 was due to add
800, oOoO 900 marks OF new taxes to the i'm
perial revenue. The federal states were
to contribute 5000. 900 marks, brandy was
to contribute IO0OO0OOo marks, tobacco
nearly 100000 marks, beer about loo,-
10000 marks; wine. 100000 marks; cleo
tricity and gas for lighting purposes, 5O,-
10000 marks. and advertisements. Z, ,50o,-
900 marks Finally, there was the Inherit
ance tax, which would fall largely on
landowners, and this was estimated to
yield 100000 marks. Buelow fell. and the
new coalition OF 1903 set to work. They
levied 100, 10000 marks on beer. 5000 900
marks on sugar. 100000 marks on
railway tickets. 100000 marks. on tea
and sugar. 100000 marks on gas and
electric mantles, 100000 marks on
matches, and 10000, 900 marks on various
stamps and conveyanclng papers.
To say that these now taxes were un-
popular is 10 use far too mild a word
A storm of indignation went up through
out the entire country. intensified by the
bold action Of the landowners, who I'm
passing such bill, considered only their
own pockets. financing for the rich
share of the national burden. Incident
ally those who had done their loudest
talking TO increase the defense budget
were the parties most eager to place
the burden incurred upon the shoulders
OF others.
The issue Is plain. VIII the democracy
OF Germany meekly submit or viii they
send men to the Reichstag who will vote
for an entire reconstruction OF the finan-
cial system, placing the cost OF MAIN
tanning the empire upon those best able
to bear u. and relieving the middle and
the poorer classes from the intolerable
strain which now presses them with Sc
verify. Day after tomorrow January
l2l will deesida this