THE GERMAN ELECTIONS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 35, 6 February 1912, Page 8

THE GERMAN ELECTIONS.

The Political Parties. The Reichstag is elected for a term if five years. The most important unties in it are as follow; The “Cen;re” (so called from its position in die House), a Roman Catholic organisation, strongest in the South of iermany, and Avhich had over a liunIred members; the Conservatives, or Agragrian party, which draws most if its strength from fho rich Prus;ian landowners, had a membership if-about 60, and supports a high proactive tariff; and the Social Oenio•rats (the Socialists), the party of •evolution. Then there are tho Lihirals; their throe wings are the National Liberals, the Progressive Librals, and an extreme wing, the “Peofle’s Party,” or Radicals. The Naional Liberals incline towards one ring of the. Conservatives. Other ■•mailer parties include, Poles, Antilomitesy Danes, and Independents. Here ' -are endless possibilities of .-ombination. At the last election, a 1907, Prince Buloav carried the ounlry on colonial issues. But in 909 there was trouble. Until thou, lie Chancellor had governed ivitli the elp of a ”Reichstag majority .made p of Conservatives^-National Liberals nd Radicals. But in that year, lien he brought forward an inheri-<nce-'tak,'-the Conservatives not only ■.tubhornly opposed) city , but formed n alliance with the Roman Catholic ‘Centre.” This combination is calld tho “blue-black bloc.” Finally, ,’riuce Buloav had to resign, prophosyog a revival of general indignation mong the people, which Avonld lead o a groat Socialistic revival. Prince Billow’s Prophecy. * Prince, Buloav’s prophecy has so far moved ! pretty -correct ;•■ for the Soeial;ts, AVho at the 1907- elections lost alf their Parliamentary membership, on a number of by-elections, and inreased their strength in Parliament cry considerably. Some authorities sserted that they Avonld gain as many s 50 or 60 more seats in the 1912 loichstag, and these anticipations avc been more than realised. Disvtisfaction is certainly Avidcsproad in ronnany, German politics are rnld by the landoAvners, avlio arc strongv organised. The industrial popu-

itinn is disproportionately taxed, ad even the farmers aro fighting gainst high prices. The Parliamentry constituencies • aro still the same s they Avere in 1874, AA’hen Germany as an agricultural State, and, in russia especially, the big city popuition, Avliere Socialism is strongest, re to a great extent disfranchised, f scats Avere properly distributed, the ■ocialis'ts Avonld lun’o a muck larger 'presentation in Parliament. The Battle Against Socialism. But until there is a redistribution f seats, the Socialists cannot- oxmess in Parliament their full poAvcr. hp present Chancellor, Dr von Betliunin Holhveg, is doing Iris best to Jiite all the other parties against the .roAving force of Socialism. No doubt good- dea'l of recent and still existut Gorman fooling against England as stirred uji for political purposes. Against,:the Socialists it was assertd that they Avere likely to try to uing about a general strike in time f Avar. But their leader, Herr 'ohel, Avas reported in November to :ave given a flat denial to that assorion. The Roman Catholic “Centre” ven sent men so far north as Kiel, a propaganda. Avork. In spite of their mevious successes, as a Hessian bylection in March, the Socialist eanidate Avas beaten at the second balot, the seat being retained by an Uiti-Semite. At this second ballot ho Radical leaders are said to have astnicted their party to vote for the Socialist candidate. If they had, he A’ould have been returned. At any ate, the party least unlikely to co-'-perate with tho Socialists is the Radical party. A groat many electors, again, aaJio !o not belong to the Socialist party iave voted with it during tho last rear or two, in order to express their *enorhl discontent with the Governueut’s programme. Anything like biboral legislation in Germany would in doubt detach these voters. AVill hoy support Socialism in the coming flections ?