Evening star., 1924-06-15

dence the Nationalists are demand
ing for chancellor the very man who,
in the eyes of the outside world, was
| most responsible for the war, since
he was the author of the policy of
German naval expansion.
And if the Nationalists on one side
are making extreme demand in return
for giving their support to a minis
try, the Socialists on their part are
| making quite as insistent demands,
although their demands are for the
preservation of the republic and the
abandonment of a policy of armament
and revenge. The three moderate
parties, with 147 votes, which must
be the core of any German ministry,
are thus pulled to the right and to
the left by the Socialists and by the
Nationalists, and the foreign policy
of the Reich at this grave moment is
made the football of domestic feuds
and factions.
All things considered. then, the
German situation is much the worst
of the three European countries which
are struggling with much the same
problem, but there is little in the
countries to lead Americans hastily
to adopt for themselves this conti-
mental method of bloc government in
place of the old party system.
Must Have Support.
At the present moment no prime
minister in Britain, France or Ger
many can propose and carry through
any piece of domestic legislation,
large or small. save as he has en-
listed the support of one or more
parties with <otally opposing prin-
ciples. In all three countries the
moderates - the Liberals in Britain.
the Radicals in France and the three
moderate parties in Germany-have
steadily to choose between co-operat-
ing with socialism or reaction. And
what is worse, the moderateS in
France and Germany can only control
nominally by sacrificing their moder-
alton.
For us the problem of bloc govern
ment might easily be more serious in
one respect than the European, for,
while on the other side of the Allan
tic parties are based upon class. re-
ligion, occupation, they are only in
relatively few instances. quite un-
important, based upon section. In
America, on the contrary, the real
promise or threat of a third party is
based pretty frankly upon sectional
interest and feeling. And If the next
election sees the rise to commanding
position of a middle and northwest
group, is it not almost inevitable that
other sections will follow suit and we
shall presently have parties repre-
senting sections and, as an inevitable
corrollary, combinations of some Sec
tions against others? Thus the bloc
system might easily threaten our
national unity.
But apart from all subsidiary and
perhaps remote contingencies. the
essential fact is that the three great
democracies of western Europe. ac-
cepting Germany as a democracy at
least temporarily and in form, have
come to the bloc system and 1t is
working in all three very badly.
Progress Ii Held Up.
In fact, at a moment when the de-
sire for settlement in Europe and the
will for peace are greater than at any
time since the outbreak of the war,
and when the report of the Dawes
committee has supplied at least
sound basis for solution, all progress
waits upon the legislative anarchy
in Paris and Berlin and all plans
must be conditional upon the contin-
uance of a British ministry which is
always minority and daily in dan
ger of defeat and resignation.
Thus 1t has come about that at the
present hour the real menace to peace
in Europe, to an international set
tlement, is not militarism, not i'm
perialism. but what, for want Of
better term, one may call parlia-
mentarism-the extension and expan-
= sion of the bloc system, which has led
to paralysis and Instability and at the
moment seems destined to prolong, If
not to accentuate. international un-
settlement by postponing, If not pre-
venting. the application of the Dawes
plan, which for at least two raonths
now has waited upon the French and
German parliamentary elections and
post-clection organizations. ~