NEW GERMAN CABINET.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1906, 23 November 1918, Page 4

NEW GERMAN CABINET.

WHO ARE THEY?

A correspondent "'ho has been closely [.'allowing the (/nurse of events in Germany lias sent to the Evening Lost the following contributed article on the j'crsonnel of the new German Cabinet; —

The head of the Cabinet is Herr Erbert (at present ). He is described in (lie (/allies as a master tailor, of Berlin. Witterle’s illuminating work on the members of the Reichstag knows him not. Dr. Sarolea now refers to him in his review of the members of the various “groups” of the Reichstag, and though Witterle was a member of the Reichstag for Hi years, representing Alsace until the outbreak of war, he does not consider him worth mentioning. Perhaps the policy which introduced Bethmann-Hollweg a nonentity is at, tht* back.of this appointment.

Herr Haase, who has been allowed during the war to make bombastic speeches in the Reichstag anainsl the Hoheiizollerns. and who has had those speeches telegraphed round the world by the Hohenzollerus, is without doubt and uni pieslionably a Pan-German, and has not been locked up like Dili man or Licitknee hi, and because lit-. speeches were used to give to the world the right of free speech in the German Parliament. He has been made .Minister of Foreign Adairs. This is dearly farcical. Herr Scliiedemanu, (he next in order, is. according to the Avaunli of Rome, (he Kaiserb. lackey. He is Hie ‘•arbiter of fashion” of (be Reichstag, and noted for bis curled board, bis brilliant waistcoats, and iris sumptuous lies, lie calls him-,-eH' a Socialisi, bu! is described by Witterle as the imTl'abie Schiedomann, lie was used by the Military Parly during,' the war on many occasions, and is pliable and responsive to llie Pan-Germans, and has a taste for rank and iulluenlial relations. Herr Dil!man i.~, 1 believe, a genuine Socialist, and be is probably the imju wlio was imprisoned for his p!ain speaking and recently released. !l must be remembered, however. that be was among the .1.11 Socialists who voted the war credit in 1914. and did not repudiate the violation of Belgian neutrality. Herr Landborg, who lias been made Minister of Publicity and the Fne Arts, is a aom-ntitv.

Herr Earth, who iias been made .Minister i.r Social Policy, whatever Ihal means, is a Marxian Socialist who has repudiated revolutionary methods. In the Second Edition of Saturday’s Evening Post wo roa.d with ;:ii!;’/;eim-ni and incredulity Ihe new?' that Herr Er/.eherger and Herr Dernberg will also enter the Cabinet. It. this is irue—and one must always prot'ace one's remarks with an “if" when that news comes from Germany —then i! would seem that the Cabinet is “eamoudage.'’ There are no two men in Heraianv io-day who more' fully represent the reactionary Junkers a.ml the Kaiser than Er/,charger am! ! h-vnberg. They a re-typically .Prussian in their ideas, hind men who have proved themselves Herman to the linger-!ip-, Before the war Lichen, Spahn, ami HVrtling. the artisans of the rally of the Centre lo Pan-Herman-;sin, ina.de way for Er/.eberger, It was Erzeberger who, in I!)17, in (he Reichstag, said: “In IDO;") we missed an unique opportunity of linishing with France, then eomplelely disarmed.” Erzeberger is u eonvineed and determined supporter of: dniperialism, and was described by Dr. Eiebkneehl as a man without convictions Iml with plenty of appetite. .Matthias Erzeberger was a teacher of Wurlemherg. wito was lirsl known in the anti-dtn-al movement, lie soon saw I hat the Centre afforded better opportunities than the Democracy. “A day's notice," says Wilterle, “ho turned his coal." A prodigious worker, with an extraordinary memory, he soon made, himself fell. Me brought about the dissolution o.f the Reichstag in I'Jdti, and conquered Dernberg, who was Secretary of Slate, through his dominant personality and force of eharai-ler. He aspires to he head of the Herman Colonial Administration —whatever that represents today. He had made a huge' forume in .--peculation. His opponents say he will end by compromising himeif, and Wilterle says that in the \erehishank smash and (lie smash of the Real Estate Agent Jahn he escaped by the skin of his teeth. Ho lias no nobility of feeling; lie is loud, rude, and domineering. During’ the present war he has been to Italy as an env »y, and was not a success. Waller-Fulda is the only man who has been-able to u-e him. and no one ■■• nows how he gets this power. I can only end this short sketch by saying; Fancy a Haase or a. Sehiedemann trying to deal with Erzeberger. Dr. Dernberg, (lie other cabled add.M’.-‘ii to the so-ealled revolutionary Cabinet, was Secretary of State of the Empire, is o. right-hand helper of the Jlohenzollerns, and always Inis been. With these few notes we may bo better able to decide whether or not the new Cabinet is a genuine expression of a new order.