GERMAN COALITION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 935, 31 March 1930, Page 11

GERMAN COALITION

CENTRE PARTY FORMS NEW CABINET STRESEMANN POLICY STANDS BERLIN, Saturday. At the request of President Hindenburg, Dr. Heinrich Bruening, Leader of the German Centre Party, undertook the task of forming a new Cabinet. He has completed the task. The new Government is a coalition. It contains only four new Ministers, including Dr. Bruening. The Foreign Minister indicates the maintenance of the late Herr Stresemann’s policy, which Dr. Curtius carried on. The retention of tile portfolio of agriculture by Herr Schieles created

difficulties owing to recent attacks made upon him by Dr. Alfred Hugenberg, leader of the Nationalist Party, and author of the referendum against the Young Plan. However, the President interviewed urged Herr Schieles to continue In office,

as he wished his agrarian programme to be carried out. Dr. Bruening is 43 years of age. In the Great War he won the Iron Cross. He entered the Reichstag in 1924, and became leader of the Centre Party. Significance is attached to the opinion expressed by the official organ of the Centre party, “Germania,” to the effect that the Government may be forced to rule the country even against Parliament. The German Centre Party, of which the leader, Dr. Bruening, becomes Chancellor, in succession to Dr. Mueller, was founded in IS7O for the defence of Rpman Catholic interests. Its supporters are found among all classes, and so it tends to be moderate. It has been one of the few stable factors in German post-war politics-, ancl has been represented in all the Cabinets since 1919. In foreign policy it is conciliatory, and urges a union with Austria. In domestic,' policy it officially supports the Republic.