Evening star., 1924-10-26
CERMANY'S SINCERITY
NOW FACES ACID TEST
Election Will Decide Whether Nation
Is to Cling to Republic or
Favor ReactiOnaries.

the back bone of the Marxian regime,
unfolding a minority government.
| The Marx government has been him
dered from the first by slender work
ing arrangements, and when the pres
ent chancellor was again confronted
with the task of running the Ger
man government by shaky coalition
he gave 1t up as a bad job and asked
for dissolution of the parliamentary
body and a new election, which might
bring the whole question of future
bourgeois or monarchical control di
rectly to a head. so that if the Ger
| man people, through the ballot, spoke
one way or another he would have
direct mandate
Marx attempted, as stated, to form
stronger coalition, but the Socialists
refused to accede to the Nationalist
! demand for four important cabinet
posts for their standard bearers, who
voted against the Dawes plan Iegis-
lation when it was pending before
the Reichstag.
The Socialists undoubtedly will
poll greater vote in the next
'Reichstag than either of their coalI-
zionist friends, inasmuch as the more
prosperous trend of the country -
expected to reduce the Communist
representation and add it to the So
cialist. All of the bourgeoise parties
are insistent upon the perpetuation
of the eight-hour dav in Germany
and for complete fulfillment fO the
treaty Of Versailles, compliance with
just allied demands and in general
would. il Reelected, pursue an ameli-
| orative policy in regard to foreign
affairs. These parties are commit
ted to the Dawes report and the Lon
don agreement. Their moderate
stand has resulted in re-establishing
Germany's credit abroad and a hope
for even greater expanse within the
next five years, all predicated upon
professed trust by other nations.
Foreign Confidence Necessary.
The Marx government has known
| from the first that only in building
up a spirit of foreign confidence i'll
| Germany could Germany release her
| self from the ironlike tentacles OF
France in the Rhineiand and the
Ruhr. He has known that there
| could be no financial Sterilization
without outside aid. He by moderate
courses and good intentions has gain
| ed that aid.
Now it is squarely up to the Ger
man people to decide whether or not
! they desire return to the old
method of individualistic but dan
gerous nationalism or pursue courses
mapped out by Marx and which have
proven SO highly satisfactory.
| At this juncture 1t cannot be pre-
| dicted what will result, though the
| hope prevails in all world capitals
that the German people Will sustain
| the faith that recently has been
placed in them. The ugly specters
that have reared their heads, how
! ever, bring doubts, and particularly
| in those circles that have been prone
to declare that Germany is Germany
and never can recover from the IN
sidious doctrines that proved so dis
astrous to the world at large.
Even Berlin admits that no quar-
| ter will be shown by the Natlonalists
| to gain their ends. In connection
| with this several interesting theories
as to the courses of the Nationalists,
CentristS and induStrialists are ad-
vauced.
| Conaervatives' Intention.
One of these pertains to the actual
intention of the conservative ranks.
1t is declared that under the pretext
of the fulfilling the Dawes report,
for which the Nationalists voted in
| the Reichstag, even though half
heartedly, the Nationalists and Cen
trists, if elected, would wage ruth
| less warfare against the laboring
classes of Germany and particularly
| against Socialists, Of whatever tend
ency. Should they win, it is asserted,
German laboring peoples would ap-
| proach a state of serfdom, with L.
hour days and reduced wages. The
| Nationalists, aiding the industrialists,
| would be able not only to promote
| old nationiStic theories of govern
ment, but would assist the indus
| triaIiSts materially in binding Ger
manys economic and financial life
| closer to the political, and with this
combination would be able to forever
preclude the possibility of bourgeois
| control of the nation.
| In connection with the desire to
regain control it is reported that
Count Won westharp, the real leader
of the Nationalistic elements already
has approached the former crown
| prince to secure his sanction to
movement to reseat him upon the
| throne of Prussia or to obtain his
support for the Nationalist cause.
1t is declared that the Nationalists
in this fashion hope to overshadow
the strictly domestic economic Ques-
tions involved in the campaign fight
and at the same time strengthen the
| idea of restoring the old monarchical
scheme of things. Monarchial res
| toration, however, is secondary to the
| Immediate assumption OF govern
mental control, but it is in the Won
| Westharp agenda and undoubtedly
| would come to pass eventually should
there be no upheaval, such as the
Republican Revolution, to hinder
plans.
Progress or Reaction.
Should the German people in com
ing elections vote decisively for the re-
publican form of government by reg
| istering their ballots in favor of the
bourgeois coalition as against the
Nationalist -Centrist group, it MAY
be expected that Chancellor Marx
will continue in power, and the re-
cent rapid strides toward paciflcation
of German and allied policies will go
on apace and to the moral and physi-
| cal benefit of Germany.
! In case the Nationalist elements
gain control, Immediately there may
be expected a stiffening of allied poll
cies all along the line. Much of the
good that has been accomplished will
have been Offset. Instead of the al
lies approaching Germany half way,
there will hesitancy and doubt, if
not bristling antagonism, with conse-