Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-25

merged by the sociaiistic wave Where.
II Is asked, Is the tide to be STAYED?
The situation is new and embarrassing
and parties are puzzling over the COM
binations which may be effected. The left
In the first place is not sure OF majority
1t Is true there are 10 socialists plus
forty-tive liberals. plus forty-six national
liberals. making 20l votes.
On the other hand there are forty-two
conservatives plus fourteen anti-semites
plus fifteen liberal conservatives and
ninety-three Catholics, which make only
16i. But II should not he forgotten that
there are thirty-two deputies belonein1;
TO small groups composed OF Poles. Alsa-
tians. Lorains. Guelfes. Danes etc. To
these there should be added certain ma
tional liberals who may detach them
selves from the left. The opposition NAV
make combinations inversely. 1t is i'm
portant to keep In mind that DIR. Won
Bethmann- Hollweg may no longer count
upon the former black and blue" bloc.
composed of conservatives and center
catholics. which numbered oaa VOTES
and was always ready to defend his meas
ures: IL will be necessary for Dr. won
Bethmann to make other combinations in
which the left may be added. In order
to do this the chancellor will be obliged
to concede tho Prussian electoral reform
which liberal Germany unanimously de-
mands.
1t is considered certain that should tho
forthcoming bills for the increase of the
army and navy be defeated through tho
socialists it will result in the retirement
Of Dr. Won Bethmann-Hollweg.
The chancellor indeed has already ac-
cepted the gage of battle in a speech IN
the reichstag on the 10th instant. In which
he said:
Il see no reasons for altering the gov
ernment's policy by any further changes
in the way OF making II more democratic
An imperial chancellor IS responsible
solely to the emperor. and he is an In
dispensable counterweight to the most
liberal OF all franchises
In view of the actual strain upon the
people and the revolt over the increased
cost OF living. the money needed can
only be raised by recourse to the ia
nous tax upon inheritance. But the con
servatives who caused the defeat OF that
bill in 1909. are even more solidly against
IL now.
It will be borne In mind that the reich
stag is only a consulting assembly and
not strictly a parliament
Consulting An electoral change such
Ar- as has just taken place
Assembly. in Germany would have
completely transformed the interior pol
icy of England. France or Italy. The
Emperor Of Germany may say with truth
that he is the state. and the chancellor
has lost no time to inform the reichstag
Of that fact. THE empire he said IN
the reichstag. "could not be governed
from either extreme-the socialistic or
the reactionary. Both were equally indie
fensible" The government has a reme'v
for political divisions provided hv the
federal Standardization.
The night Of the elections Iiehkrech'
%
'"rhe peace Of the world hereafter Is ae-
sured," This was perhaps pardonahic N
the first flush OF victory but Herr Lien
lnecht will recognize readily that me en-
peror only may dictate policy OF peace
for Germany.
Besides, the socialists Of German have
not been a peace party. In 1905. Tor ex-
ample, when there was great tension ne
tween France and Germany. the social
lists Bebel at the head. declared for war
IL there was to be war. There We're eightN-
two socialists in the reichstag in 1915
now there are one hundred and ten ne
German government has Just competed
a solemn accord with France. thus ildul-
dating its quarrel with that country. and
IL may be he has no thought OF troubling
the peace OF the world.
The reichstag assembled on the TIN
instant and the emperor delivered the
usual address, which was received with
enthusiastic cheers. DIR. SPAIN or the
clerical center. who was president, was
succeeded by Johannes Kaempf radi-
cal Kaempf resigned when Phiir
president. alleging that he would not
act with a socialist. Then i'm turn
Schiedemann declined to make an ON
cial visit to the court because his
socialistic sentiments forbade. Herr
Dove was elected second vice presi-
dent. Surely, IL properly named, the
latter should have stood for peace. but
dispatch from Cologne announces
20 iva
either president or vice president and
so the matter rests until further eX-
plantations are received OF an affair
which must prove a puzzle TO the Ger
man az well as to the outside man.
-
The German press is much exercised
indulge in recrimina
Government tions and attack the
. government as "a weak
0tIdCnOu. government, which hae
not known how to raise an impassah,e
barrier to the rising tide"
The Morgen Post esteems II difficult n
saw more clearly to DR.. Won Rethmann-
Hollweg that he was wrong to give him
self up to the 'black and blue bloc. and
thus abandoning the policy followed by
Prince Won Bulow.
Germany has had another sensation IN
the visit OF Mr.. Haldane. the British war
minister. The secret OF the interview
with the emperor has been carefully
guarded. but It is rumored that II was
first to open the way to friendly relations.
which the press Of both countries APP
peared determined to thwart.
Russia likewise has had sensation III
the visit OF the British parliamentary
delegation. The Rossyia congratulated
itself and every one on the success of Il
visit destined to bring about a RAJ
prochement of the hearts of the TWO Ia
TONS
The fetes in honor OF the British dell
CATION were brought to a close by visit
to the several institutions of the army
and navy. The pacifsts visited whateTer
seemed to them pacific. The pariamen-
tarians. savants and artists visited monu-
ments, museums and hospitals: the
clergy, the inconsistencies: the commercial
lists were given a banquet at the chamher
Of commerce OF the Russo-British. Tho
parliamentarians were the guests OF me
Ind the duma. The diplo-
mats dfned at the British embassy, and