Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04
DEFEAT OF CONFISCATION
HELPS GERMAN REPUBLIC
Failure of Move to Take Princes Prop
erty Strengthens Moderate Groups Bent
ON Maintaining Democratic Status.

perity and confidence. For years the
republic was weak because there was
the permanent contrast for all Ger
mans between the years Of material
welfare, when the Kaiser reigned, and
those of Undesirable misery under
the republic. And in the same way
there was the contrast between the
Germany which was almost supreme
in Europe up to the closing days Of
the war and the Germany which under
the republic had to submit even to
occupation Of the Rhineland.
The republic was probably saved by
those who loved it least. namely. the
Peoples party, because, as l said, the
leaders of this party were the leaders
of German business and recognized
that Germany must have loans. for
eign support and q measure of politi-
cal protection not otherwise obtain
able. The situation was on all tours
with that in France after 1915. The
Bourbon monarchy was unpopular.
Paris despised it as having been
brought back in the baggage Of the
victorious allies. But it was the only
government the victorious allies would
deal with and it could and did serve
France in this way.
BOurbOns Had to Go.
In the end, of course, after Is years,
the Bourbons had to go because they
were incapable Of understanding
France, the France which had devel-
oped through the revolution and the
Napoleonic period. By contrast the
German Republic seems likely to en-
dure, because it has developed pre-
cisely as the BOurbons failed to grow.
| Germany Is not radical. 1t is as far
| from revolutionary as Britain, perhaps
even farther: il could not permanent
| ly endure republic which was con-
trolled by the extreme left. or even by
anything as radical as the Socialist
| party.
But what has happened is that the
more moderate parties. the parties Of
| business, big and little. of order and
| of authority. bourEeoise parties. in
the European political jargon. have
captured the republic and taken il out
| of the hands of the radicals. They
| have done this because business and
| the more intelligent elements on the
conservative side have appreciated the
| fact that to attempt to restore the
monarchy would bring bloody revolu-
| ton at home and infinite trouble
abroad. while to adopt the republic
would give them power and prosperity.
But one must recognize that parallel
| with the process which has changed
| the control Of the machinery of gov
| eminent there has been a develop
ment in the radical camp. II the gov
| eminent is controlled by the more
| conservative elements. there is always
the vast mass of Socialists and even
| Communists on guard to see that the
conservative element does nol so too
| far toward the monarchical camp. The
mere fact that fifteen million votes
were cast for the seizure of the prop
erty of the princes indicates the
strength of this force. The Luther
cabinet has just fallen because it was
held by the Socialists to have inclined
too much TO the right.
Afraid to Set Precedent
| 1t must not be assumed, either. that
the proposal to seize the property of
the princes failed because of the mon
archical sentiment in Germany. It
| actually failed because of the prop
erty sentiment, because all who had
property. especially the great prop
erty-holding Roman Catholic Church.
saw that If the principle of seizure
were once admitted ii might be car
ried to unknown lengths if ever the
radicals got control of the machinery
of government.
Yet this $4,000. 900 of votes repre-
sents a total merely half as large as
has ever been cast in a German cleo
ton and about equals the vote cast
for Hindenburg last year when he was
elected President. Thus IL is clear
that many hundreds of thousands Of
Catholics and Democrats broke away
from their party to vote for expro-
priation. And every one of these 15..
900 900 would take up arms to prevent
restoration of the princes whose
property they voted to seize without
compensation.
Had the German Republic remained
in the control of the radicals, of the
Socialists primarily, the end would
have been the gradual consolidation Of
all conservative elements about the
mass of monarchists and the restora-
ton of the throne would have been a
detail in the preservation of property
and business against radical assault.
This possibility disappeared when the
| Peoples party accepted the republic
and undertook to meet the perils COM
ing from the radicals, which were d.
| rected against property not the form
| of government.
Now. it is quite obvious that Ger
man business must have little real
enthusiasm for a restoration. which
would certainly be accompanied by
great bloodshed and be opposed by
the solid block of 100000 voters
who favored appropriation. together
with other millions who favor the re-
public but SHE'D away from a course
which might in the end supply the
warrant for other appropriations
| right down to the ultimate MARKHAM
| conception. On the contrary, the
whole object of the German business
must be to seek to draw to itself the
support of the more reasonable mon
archists.
battle-ground Now Clear.
The new battle-ground of German
politics. therefore. begins to become
clear. 1t is battle within the frame
of the republic to establish and con-
solidate all the modern elements at
the right and at the left to defend
property and business against radical
assault; it is an effort to muster the
republican and the monarchist con-
servatives against the radicals in the
field of domestic legislation. But the
basis of any such combination must
necessarily be the tacit acceptance of
the republic by these moderate mon
archists. Once a considerable ele-
ment of the monarchists accept the
republic and Locarno in principle,
Germany may get majority govern
ment again, or at least cabinet
which will be able to rest upon some
stable foundation in the Reichstag.
In the past two years the Luther
Stresemann combination has lived by
enlisting Socialist votes for its Lo-
carno program and Nationalist votes
against extreme radical measures.
But it has lived from day to day and
it's position has been so insecure that
there has been a lack of continuity
and ever-recurring contradictions of
policy due to recurring crises. 1t
has actually existed on sufferance and
| foil In, 4l,a lao1,a, II rc,,Sod