Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-19

of the troops. today the same news
papers are finding French reluctance
not only natural, but reasonable.
Stresemann and his Peoples party,
therefore, see the coalition as a failure
in the foreign field. They see the Lo-
carno policy compromised, the hope
of evacuation postponed and their own
position weakened, because the fruits
of Locarno which they forecast have
not been realized.
A few weeks ago the whole world
was treated to the amazing spectacle
of the reunion of the Steel Helmets
in Berlin. This organization of war
veterans represents the extreme
spirit of monarchy at home and re-
venge abroad. It's great parade was
headed by two sons of the Kaiser, the
expressions of it's orators were all OF
the sort to stimulate apprehension
alike in Paris and in Warsaw and to
provoke resentment in London.
Berlin Cold to Affair.
1t is perfectly true that Berlin was
cold to this demonstration. and there
was nothing to suggest that 1t was
representative of the actual spirit of
the capital. Moreover, the National
lists themselves were forced about the
same time to extend for two years the
legal prohibition of the return Of the
Kaiser, which was a very significant
circumstance. Yet even this action
did not largely counteract the evil in
f1uence of the great demonstration.
Later, too, there has developed q
controversy over the demolition of the
Notifications on the eastern frontiers.
Germany undertook to destroy these
works, erected Illegally since the war.
in return for the ending of the allied
control Of German military establish
ments. Today the Germans announce
that the forts have been wrecked,
but they have steadfastly opposed any
verification of this fact by any allied
authority. The issue here is not so
much one of fact, but of sentiment.
The Germans refuse to acknowledge
the right Of the allies to exercise even
this final bit of supervision. Yet it is
clear how such tactics must arouse
suspicion. And 1t Is an open secret
that no consideration of evacuation
can take place while the fact of de.
struction of the forts is not estab-
lished.
Enthusiastically, therefore, the return
or the Nationalist to power has been
disaster for Germany abroad. In
the same fashion it has promoted
strife, not forwarded cooperation,
within Germany. While a certain
amount Of domestic legislation de-
sired by the several elements in the
coalition has been enacted and various
other projects opposed by the coalition
parties have been defeated, those in.
cidental benefits have not been follow.
ed by fusion of divergent elements
behind the Marx cabinet.
Cabinet Crisis Looms.
Therefore it requires no great gift
OF prophecy to foresee that before any
long stretch of time another cabinet
crisis is inevitable. 1t is even con.
ceivable that new election may take
place, but this is less certain.
On the whole, the signs seem to
point 10 general tendency in Ger.
unmistakable increase in Republican
strength. On the other hand, the form
OF election law under which Germany
votes makes anything like a LAND.
siioe' nightly unlikely and nothing slig.
gestS that there would be anv very
great change in the actual strength
OF the many parties. Still all signs
DO indicate that such changes as
might take place would favor the Re.
publican parties.
One very promising sign is the
rapid disintegration of the Com.
munist party. The split between the
two wings of the Socialists was in
itself a disaster and it has long weak
ened the Socialists, who, despite the
Correction OF the extremists, remain
the strongest single party in Ger
many. But the Communists are
losing ground steadily.
Nevertheless, despite all the con.
and conflicts, not only is
the republic still alive almost nine
years after the revolution, but it has
Tor three years gained strength. To-
nay German recovery Is going on
rapidly, the old reproach to the re-
public that 1t was responsible for
Ill the postwar suffering and hu.
has been silenced. More.
over, for failures Of foreign policy in
recent months the Nationalist. and
not the Republicans, are obviously
responsible.
Weakness Held TwofOld.
The fundamental weakness Of the
donarchiSts is twofold. In the first
,lace there is no real agreement upon
Iynasty or upon a prospective EN-.
'eror. The South Germans remain
hostile to the Hohenzollerns and the
Savarians would have a Wittelsbach.
Is for the Prussians. while few sup.
'ort the claims of the last Kaiser,
here Is a division between those who
dvocate the former Crown Prince
nd the far larger group, who favor
ne of his sons.
The three forces in Germany TODAY.
roadly speaking, are represented by
ne masses OF the people, big business
no the champions of monarchy.
t is. of course, true that there are
,rge numbers of the people, speaking
4 terms of class, in both the PEOPLES
nd the Nationalist parties. indus.
rial employees in the former. farm la.
orers in the latter. but the doni.
ating influences are capital and
respectively. But so far
has been impossible to unite any
NO solidly. The people and the rep
of big business are united
n the question of the republic, those
big business and monarchy on all
sues or domestic legislation affect.
liz capital and labor.
Germany lives, then, by temporary
xpedients, momentary compromises,
ohemeral combinations, which break
own inevitably the moment the
ain and particular purpose for
bich these were formed has been
allied. Today. it would seem, an
her combination is breaking down.
no popular parties and big business
nited to put the Locarno settlement
rough and bring Germany into the
eague. The present coalition, as
i've said, was formed to meet do
estic problems.
But these domestic issues are now
ljusted and Nationalist influence IL
German foreign inter.
is. Therefore a change Is expected
Id pending the change a rapid ac-
Of political polemics. But
would be a mistake to take these
20 seriously. In Germany, as in
e United States, a general election
due next year. and inevitably the
eliminary maneuvers have begun.
is with this fact In mind that one
nst view German events for the