Evening star., 1946-08-07

legal career, he
took an interest
in politics and Wilhelm Marx.
represented the Centrist party in
the .Prussian Diet from 1899 to 1918
as member from Neuss. He also was
a member of the Reichstag for
Muelheim- on from 1910 and
in 1919 was delegate to the Ma
tional Assembly which drafted the
republican constitution.
The rise of DR.. Marx to high DO
sition was regarded as a sort OF
political accident, for his life had
been one of service rather than OF
personal ambition-serice to his
country, to the Catholic Church and
TO the Center party.
He was regarded as splendid
product of German bureaucracy at
its best-an upright, honest man
who advanced slowly in his legal
career until he became presiding
judge of the Court of Appeals in
Berlin and who made similar prog
ress in his party until political ex-
pediency placed him at the head of
the government and, in 1925, made
him presidential candidate in oppo-
sition to Won Hindenburg.
DR.. Marks leap into international
prominence in 1923, when he first
became chancellor, resulted from
the mo confidence" vote that had
been recorded against Gustav
Stresemann's second cabinet. Strese-
mann yielded to the Centrist leader
and when DR.. Marx took Office he
formed a minority cabinet of Gen.
tr1sts, Democrats and Peoples party
members.
1t led Germany out of the chaos
Of imitation and put the full force
Of its authority behind the report
OF the experts headed by Gen.
Charles G. Dawes, which was ac-
cepted by the Preparations Commits
sion on April II, 1924, as a satisfac-
tory basis for the provisional So
luton of the reparations problem
Under the leadership of DR.. Marx,
the German cabinet on April 16
declared that it, too, accepted the
report.
When the elections of May, 1924
brought a move to the right. DR.
Marx resigned, but at request OF
President Ebert formed his second
minority cabinet. The question arose
OF having the German Nationalist
enter the coalition, but when they
refused to accept the chancellor
condition that they support the
Dawes committee recommendations
the government was formed with
out them.
Succeeded by Luther.
Marx, Stresemann and Hans
Luther went to London in August
that year to take part in the inter
national conference which adopted
the Dawes plan. The cabinet after
great effort succeeded in mastering
the necessary two-thirds vote in
the Reichstag for passing laws to
give effect to the Dawes plan. The
chancellor then tried to expand his
cabinet from minority to a ma
Jority, and failing, dissolved the
Reichstag.
The elections of December, 1924,
brought no decisive change and
the next month DR.. Marx passed
the reins Of government to Luther.
in whose second cabinet he became
minister Of justice and of the oc-
cupied areas.
In the presidential election of
April, 1925, DR.. Marx was chosen
as the candidate of the Republican
parties-the Socialists, Democrats
and Centrists-but was defeated by
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg. the
idol OF the people, by $4,000 votes
out OF a total of more than 49,
100000
Meanwhile, Chancellor Luther got
into trouble by his decree legalizine
the old monarchist national flag and
his cabinet fell. The unwelcome
task OF forming new cabinet once
more descended upon the patient
Wilhelm Marx Another minority
government worried along for half
a year and when the need of a
majority cabinet became more ap-
parent Chancellor Marx invited the
German Nationalists to join, move
Tor which the Republicans never
forgave him. That cabinet remained
IN office until the May elections
of 1928 disclosed the country's dis
approval of the Nationalists and
Mueller replaced Marx as chancellor
Devoted to Church.
In his personal life, DR.. Marx was
modest and unassuming. He loved
music and spent his leisure moments
at the piano playing Bach fugues OF
the symphonies of Anton Bruckner
His admiration for the latter was
such that he headed the Anton
Bruckner Society of Berlin, which
produces several Bruckner works
each season.
Few German statesmen have been
more devoted sons of the church
OF Rome than was DR.. Mrax. In.
variably, even during the busiest
periods OF his political career, he at
tended early mass each morning
and IN the Corpus Christi process
sions always marched at the head
The holy see showed its apprecia-
ton OF his fidelity by conferring or
him the commanders cross Of the
Order OF st. Gregory the Great.
Stolen Safe Found Empty