Dr. Von Bethmann-Hollweg.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 712, 11 January 1910, Page 6

Dr. Von Bethmann-Hollweg.

It -is into this dilemma, that the' new 'Chancellor,.-, the statesman-' philosopher Dr.; Theobald von BethmannHollweg, mnst waderon ■ the very threshhold of bis premiership. More than lour months have passed since' inherited the toga of-Buelow., The country, however, ; have had no glimihe'r of the new steersman's course. : • lloltke , the. Silent was'loquacity itself compared to the'taci-; turn hermit who now inhabits the Chancellor's: palace. Not a suggestion of policy has'escaped him. The nation's cry for light and leadership' has been answered by muteness deep and profound: Jour-, nalists who had the ear of Bismarck and Buelow .have rapped in vain / at* Bethj maim-Hollweg's. door. The' wells of : newspaper "inspiration" have suddenly dried up.: . All is niystery. ' Behind this impenetrable veil .Germans detect indecision, embarrassment] and perplexity, that bode ill; for, the: "strong Chancellorship" with which only , the rising Social : Democratic tide can be turned-back.. i '/■

,How Dr. von Bethrfiami-HoUweg will meet this issue and .how lie will govern with asunder-with. raucorous' party dissensions -is ,the. fea-, ture of the; new session on which interest ■will be concentrated. The "patriotic"-. Cohsetrative-Liberal-Eadical Bloc,- amid whose . shattered fragments Buelow's heir assumed, office,, is: gone, beyond despair. Since it crumbled Conservatives and Lib-erals-have ceased to 'be- mere'opponents and have become implacable enemies. "When the' Chancellor uncoils his elongated form, . pulls •. downhis multi-cbl-oured waistcoafy and adjusts his tortoise-shell-rimmed pince-nez "and:! surveys .the House,' he will seek in vain for a majority..he can call his , own. ' To , the right his . philosophic' 'gaze will enconnter the 'Conservative-Agrarian oligarchy which overthrew his predecessor; in the .. Centre, the ' Catholics,' an anti-Government phalanx a handled. strong-, ;to -the.left, the minority . of -faithful- National Liberals and Radicals; to.the extreme left, ■the enemy of always,; the:. Social Democrats. : : t The Watchword, "Conciliation" is believed w be the •watchword which ; Bethmann-Hollweg will ,hoi6t ■ upbn, 1 his banner'; wheni,he. sallies forth to engage-this hostile constellation. For, two' years Buelbw. governed. againstthe :, Roman'. Catholic! .Centre»and - the ' So;cid Democracy. '-The 'sal'fation' : of :Beth-mann-Hollweg, heir to . tti> folly'• of' this system, undoubtedly lies;; in -. fttandbmlofe - the exclusion- of ;the Catholib party from' constructive legislation and in' inducing Conservatives 1 and 1 Liberals'. to.-bmry ; their" differences'. long "enough/, to n march diwithi 'tho Government against .tKe'icanimon-So--cialist: danger.V'Xhesei; tacticsii'which ;the; Germans expressivdy call' "egg-dancing"'' anglice, muddling' through from. Bill to Bill as best .one'can—seem at this hoax 'the Chancellor's only hopo of .i passing lonicloHnn ' ■''■■.y V, ; Although not essentially an, Imperial 'issue, the demsmd: for Prussian suffrage reform-' has an: immediate .and immense influence on - Imperial politics, and ■a-'direct-bearing on the 'Reichstag situa-.' tion- of the moment. Two. years ago inhis Speech'from' the - Throne/' the Kaiser, as • lung of iPrussia,: : categorically 1 pro- ! raised- reorganisation of the " mediaeval 'Prussian..electoral system. Under, pressure of. ; the Conservative autocracy which; rules Prussia, the-'Ministry: has :not'keptthe royal pledge by introducing a Reform' Bill. In presence l o£ the'-absolute 1 certainty; that suffrage' reform will mean a strong: Socialist ■ Party;?in 'the Prussian House' of Commons, Conservatives • find it easy to'restrain the Government's hand; Already - : they have openly threatened Bethmann-Hollweg with' fresh difficulties in if he'-dare to yield to the Liberal' and-Socialist clamour for, Prussian electoral reform. On the other hand the Liberal-Radical parties may revolt if the Chancellor refuse to' abolish the,-iniquities :andinequalities „■ of Prussian'. suffrage.;. -It/is \a, tangle desperate onough to try the . sonl of a Bismarck. -

Political !iEgg-Dancing." ■ 1 The routine programme .of the session pales into, comparative insignificance alongside the Chancellor's dilemma. There are important, legislative items— the covering' by loan of the "supplementary; Budget deficit" of, -£26,000,000, .the codification of the -Imperial : insurance code,, workmen's widows and orphans in- : surance, and a renewal: of- the.: Inheritance Taxes Bill—but the spectacle of -the- Chancellor's "egg. dance" •will ont--1 shine thom ' all.. The" Kiel ; dockyard, "graft" 'scandal will , provide ' troublesome hours lof 'the Government and for Admiral, von 1 Tirpitz, 'of State for the Navy,' who must bear the brunt of Parliamentary' attack. As a consequence the 1910 Naval'■:-Estimates' ' of are not likely to be passed wiUtiout debate, as were their historic predecessors'.of : 1909/ : The country is fuming with • indignation ;■ incompetent stewardship in the fleet,.'and tho lloichstag i will demand a' sharp'break ■with'the system•:of entrusting the expenditure. of tens'.of 'millions; of :marks' to., naval officers who- consider busiitess man-: agement below" 1 their dignify. . ":■: