THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1769, 27 December 1917, Page 2

THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR.

COUNT HERTLING, the new German Chancellor, was bom at Darmstadt in 1843, and, although he pleaded age and frequent ill-health

when invited to succeed Dr. Bethnal nn-H«llweg, he has given proof of late that he still possesses considerable mental and physical, vigour. As a man he is universally esteemed. He is earnest and emin* cntly conscientious; and has achieved notable successes in the dobmins of statesmanship and science. His years of experience as one of the leaders of the Centre Party in the Reichstag have also made him'thoroughly conversant with Parliamentary practice and procedure. Count Herding is opposed by the Pan-Germans and by the Socialists, by the former because he does not uphold Pan-German plans of annex-.' ation and favours a peace based on understanding, and by the latter because he is a Centre man. The PanGermans also object to Cdunt Hertling because he was the intermediary between Count Czemin and the German Government on the peace question, and because be advocates the partition of Alsace-Lorraine between Bavaria and Prussia. A striking feature of the situation is that Count Hertling is not a Prussian. Since the foundation of the empire the Chancellor lias been also Minister-President of Prussia, a circumstance which has, of course, had n great influence on the history and development of the empire. Count Hertling is a Hessian by birth, but Ims been associated during most of his life with Bavaria, and since his appointment 'as the Bavarian Minister-President in 1012 he has been regarded as a Bavarian.