CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 171, 18 January 1912, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

federation. New Zealand is to be asked to federate politically with Australia. At the Labor Conference, which is'a tery important conference indeed, considering that the rulers of Australia are the chief delegates, the Commonwealth Prime Minister mooted the question; and suggested that New Zealand would welcome federation. It is perfectly true that at one time and another the people of New Zealand have not Ween' consulted on questions very gravely affecting themselves, and we still remember the terrific secrecy about the Colonial Conference, the Kind's Coronation, and other, matters of moment. Mr. Fisher has spoken almost as jf negotiations had been proceeding. When, the suggestion was .previously made, prior to the federation of the Australian States, there, was real antagonism throughout New Zealand. There was t{ien no lurking suspicion that an enemy desired to mop us up. Now the sole idea apparently animating any profederaponists in New Zealand is that it would be handy to have the Australian navy to' fall back upon in time of stress.Sir William Russell has spoken wisely| in this regard. He has evidently been surprised that the Federal Prime Minister should have suggested that New Zealand desired to become a marine suburb of Australia, for there has never been any indication that such a step would ,be popular.' Sir William has sensibly pointed out that in the event of i an attack on New Zealand—even a filibustering expedition—the • Australian, 1 navy which does not yet exist, would hardly, be pf service at a distance of twelve .hundred miles. That little navy is goitfg to have its work cut out to police its own enormous .coast line, and the British Navy, with our own help is a much .safer machine to lean againstthan a.distant squadron. At any rate, it Will >be interesting to follow the discussion on this question when the New Zealand Parliament, meets. In Australia .itself federation is unpopular. There is every indication that the Commonwealth may revert to its old conditioji, and we quite fail to understand the Pnme Minister's belief that. New Zealand can profitably enter into partner* ship with a federation that is not very fond of, federation for itself.

GERMAN POLITICAL PARTIES. The interesting centring in the German elections is probably almost as great in the British Empire as in the German Empire, mainly because of the probability of a weakening of the Centre Party, which,, by alliance with the Con T ,Bervatives, has "become the dominating factor in German Imperial politics. The Centre Party's vague description of itself hardly illustrates the power it has wielded .in legislative matters, but the'alliance with the Conservatives has given it the -voting power necessary to the passagfe of Pleasures having for their object the increase of German influence outside the Empire. The Centre Party is "fundamentally a political undenominational party, which guards, indeed, the' civil' rights of a Catholic minority, but takes its stand upon the Constitution in fulfilling its duties towards the Fatherland." In order at a glafice to see the voting power these allied parties wielded in the Reichstag from the electipns/of 1907 till the present time, it is only necessary to show that the Centre Party held. 105 seats and the Conservatives 83 out of a total of 397 seats. The Social Democrats in the 1907 election won only 43 seats, and it is their accession of strength that menaces the combine and may probably rob them of much support, out of a total of 397 seats. Tha Social When Prince Bulow retired in 1909 on the transformation of parties he said he had determined to do so because, in consequence of the attitude of the Con-, servative Party, a political constellation was produced, which, to the exclusion of the Liberal parties, including even the brothers in arms of the old Bismarckian tickets (National Liberals), brought the Conservatives into closest alliance with the Centre and the Poles, and thereby made the Centre Party the controlling tive,parties could out-vote the six other one. The allied Centre and Conservaparties combined, and so were able to control since 1907 the impulsive persons who so earnestly believed that the Empire was in bad hands. The access of strength to the Democrat-Socialist party lias probably not been recruited from former supporters of the powerful combination, but by those people who returned National Liberals, Radicals and Moderate Radicals, Poles, Anti-Semites, Alsatians, Guelphs, Danes and others to the talk shop. The mass of the Germans may possibly regard the Centre Party much in the way that the mass of the English regard the Unionist Party. There is little possibility that any access to the Socialist standard will put these people into the position held by the Centre Party, but there can be no doubt at all that this strengthening of other parties opposed to the alliance will have a sobering effect on the swashbuckling crowd who rejoice that every foreign opinion as can be construed into

an -insult only to 'be wiped out with blood. One feature of the elections is that the keen organisation of the Socialists has enabled Herr Bebel to send his representatives into territory sacred heretofore to representatives of the old regime. Thus in 1!>07 many men other than Socialists were returned simply because Socialist candidates did not contest the seats. In fact, the organisation was not then so deep and wide as it now is. On the other hand, the Centre and Conservative parties were and are wonderfully organised, and of course hold infinitely greater wealth than all the other parties combined. It is a little appalling that the peace of the nations may hang on a German election, and the fact that this cannot be doubted shows how remarkably absurd the party system really is. In Germany, as in British countries, wealth, influence and genius are used not always for the good of the people but for the return of parties. Some day all over the civilised world the people will vote for a man for what he is and not for the iabel he wears.