BULOW AND THE BLOC

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 5

BULOW AND THE BLOC

; CHANCELLOR STANDS FIRM. UNEMPLOYED AND -AGITATORS.; - SOCIALIST HISSES. ?* TELEOBArn-rrrpiisg ASSoouTioN^-corinionT, Bcrllni January 23. Interrogated, in tho Reichstag, the Imperial Chancellor, Prince Bulow, declined-to discuss ' tho Prussian franchise. question, which, he sajdj concerned the Prussian Diet alono, Refo'rring to the disturbances arising out of gatherings- of. unemployed, he said the Government. was determined at all costs to preservo law, and order, .tie warned tho workers not to folipivr, agitators and sacrifice their own skins. The Chancellor's. remarks were received with cheers fropi the Right and with hisses, and groans from , t)ie Socialists. BULOW'S POSITION. ' Tho cablegram (mentions how the Opposition Socialists, received , the Chancellor's words, hut not; how .they appealed to the Government Radicals. Of the three constituent- elements' in the Bloc which supports tho GovernmentConservatives, National .Liberals,: and Radicals —the, liadjcals:,ara likely to l>e most restive under a policy which denies franchise exten-sion-to Prussia, and which has no sympathy for the unemployed,.who'were' sabred the other day in tho streets of, Berlin. When the heterogeneous Bloc showed signs of revolt last month,' the .Chancellor (Prince Bulow) brought .its'leaders into line with a threat of resignatipn.. When the Reichstag met to decide tlje' ispuej Pj-ince Bulow did not appear. Hg had determined to maintain reserve until, the leaders of the parties on whom he depends-for. a majority had defined theij-position-publjcb'.. .* The leaders of the three. Government parties, Herr von Norniahn (Conservative),. ITerr Basscrmann (National Liberal); arid HerrWieiner (Radical), then successively rose and declared their - continued faith in Prince Bulow and their adhesion to'-his, policy of imperialism and moderate, domestic reform. "Tho'three speeches, which together lasted only ten minutes, were (writes tho-Berlin correspondent of the "Express") received by tho Opposition with angry shouts, derisive laughter, and open insult. The Roman. Catholics and the Socialists, who had anticipated the/Chancellor's fall, sair that their chance was gone, and could not conceal .their chagrin. "There was comparative quiet when Herr flormann was spoaking/ but when Ilerr Baseermann. followed in a sjmilar strain his words were' rendered almost inaudible' by interruptions. The disorder increased almost to a riot when Herr Wiemer rose and. declared his cooperation with, the other Government parties. The President ptpod. swinging his large i Ijpll and vainly appealing for: order until the'adjournment of the Chamber, which took place exactly twenty-five minutes after the sitting began. ■ - ''Prince Bulow has thus vindicated his action, but, owing to the divergent views held by his followers, even his friends do not consider his . position yet really secure." :