Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-10
BY FRANK III. SIMONDS.

To. understand the causes of the
new crisis in German politics and the
obstacles In the way of the formation
of another cabinet, 1t is essential 10
keep in mind, first, that Germany has
the bloc and not the majority system
in its parliament, and, secondly. that
at the moment the bloc system is per
haps working at its highest capacity
for evil in the ReichStag.
The present German Reichstag has
Just under 500 members. At one eX-
IRENE, so far as the large parties are
concerned, is the Socialist group with
l31 members. On the other hand is
the Nationalist group with 10. These
two groups cannot work together, and
yet they constitute almost half OF the
chamber, so that any cabinet, to have
majority, must depend upon the
votes Of the Socialists or Of the Ma
tionalists. This the more the case be-
cause there is a group of 45 Commu-
nists, who are against every govern
ment, whether nationalist or socialist,
republican or monarchist.
But it is not an easy thing for the
parties which lie between the ex-
tremes-that is, the Catholic, People S
and Democratic parties-to make the
necessary combinations. These three
parties have together 1S5 seats, ap-
proximately, while the Bavarian Peo-
pies Party, which normally stands
with them, would bring their strength
up to 200.
X j: X
Before the present cabinet these
middle parties preserved a more or
less close alliance with the Socialists.
In reality the so-called Weimer bloc,
made up of the parties which had a
clear commitment to the republic,
l,~
Weimar constftution-that is, the So
cialist, Democratic and Catholic par
ties-constituted a majority over all,
and the role of the Peoples Party
was inconsiderable.
But after the election following the
occupation of the Ruhr the National,
lists were strengthened, the Weimar
bloc weakened and the majority
which they had hitherto held was
lost. Without the votes of the Peo-
pies Party they could accomplish
and the Catholics, being bourgeois
parties. were ready to do business
with the Peoples Party, which repre-
scented big business and finance, the
Socialists were, for obvious reasons,
unwilling. Nevertheless, with the be-
nevolent neutrality of the Socialists,
a combination was made between the
three bourgeois parties to put through
the Dawes plan.
But this alliance was unnatural and
it broke Gown in the new Reichstag.
In it's place came a combination be-
tween the bourgeois parties, the Peo-
pies and Nationalists; all four united
against Socialist measures and all
four represented measurably con-
sentative rather than radical ideas so
far as home or inner politics were
concerned. This was the combination
on which the Luther. Stresemann cab.
met rested and it included three Ma
tionalist ministers
When the Stresemann proposals
which led to Locarno came along, how
ever, there was unrest among the Ma.
tionalists. They did not Immediately
declare war upon the whole security
pact idea, although the more extreme
elements were hostile. But they is
sued very definite and limiting declara-
tions. eliminating in their party
declaration of last July, which gave
only a hating assent to the proposed
agreement and demanded very far
! reaching compensations from the al
lied governments.
When the results of the LocarnC
pact became known, then the Ma
| tionalists openly repudiated them an6
forced their party associates in thu