The sun., 1917-07-15
FIRST 'VONLESS'
CHANCELLOR IN
Michaelis One of People and
No Friend of Junkers-
Won Position.

DR. Georg Michaelis succeeds Won
Bethmann-Hollweg as Imperial German
Chancellor on the eighth anniversary of
the latter's elevation to that post. 1t is
the anniversary also of the fall of the
Bastllle
DR. Michaelis Is three years older than
the junker statesman he displaces He
is known to hold extremely liberal ideas
ideas quite the reverse of those held
by the military school of statesmanship
typified by Won Bethmann-Hollweg.
The new Chancellor has never been
Identified with those great props Of the
Hoheffzollern dynasty. the Junkers. He
II not a noble. As a plain commoner he
had no such sympathetic interests. re-
lations and connections with the junkers
as were maintained by his predecessor.
The astonishing thing to Germans In
this city--persons who intuitively COM
prehend the significance OF the great
governmental change just announced
is that any one not won" could be-
come the Imperial Chancellor, Since the
days the German Empire was proclaimed
by William /. at Versailles there has
always been won" in the Imperial
Chancellery-Von Bismarck, Won Hohen-
lohe, Won Buelow. Won Bethmann-Holl-
veg.
MIchaelis. direct from the people, has
come up from the bottom. After the
customarily thorough gymnasium train
ing. Georg Michaelis entered the SER
vice of the Prusslan Government in
1879, taking a small post in the Depart
ment of Jurisprudence. Serving In a
capacity which over here would be rep
resented by a deputy assistant Attor-
ney- General. he remained six years In
1885 he went TO Toxic and taught in
the German School of Jurisprudence.
Four years later he returned to Prussia
and reentered the Department of Juris-
prudence in a higher post.
His services attracted little attention
outside OF Government circles but hs
was gradually forging ahead. and in
1902 he was made oberpresident of the
Breslau district in Sllesia. Thereafter
he rose step by step until in 1909 he was
appointed Under Secretary of State in
the Department of Finance. the post he
has Just vacated to take the Chancellor
ship. In 1915 he was made Prussian
food controller, cooperating with Count
Won Batocki. the imperial food con-
troller.
Dr. Michaelis's home is In Berlin,
where his circle of friends includes many
prominent Liberals and spokesmen for
reforms In the Government.
Germans IN tnlS city ldHllutI WIN
| the main facts of Dr. Michaeliss career,
who were pondering last night over the
probable significance Of his elevation to
the Chancellorship, said that one Of the
| Immediate effects would be a really
| democratic German Parliament. They
| scarcely believed that Dr. M!chaelis
would have consented to take Won Beth
mann -Hollweg's post unless he had re-
ceived pledges from the crown, 1t was
suggested also that the overthrowing OF
! the Won Bethmann-H -Hollweg influence
may have an effect on the morale OF
| the German armies, especially those on
the western front; and there was even
prediction that Michaelis's elevation
! to power may mean a modification OF
submarine frightfulness.
| Theobald Won Bethmann- Hollweg the
| Chancellor who steps down. had held
the office for eight years to day. He
was appointed by William II. on July
IA, 1909.