GERMANY'S FINANCES

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 72, 26 March 1909, Page 7

GERMANY'S FINANCES

A CRISIS. THREATENED BREAK-UP OF THE BLOC. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received March 26, 8.55 a.m.) BERLIN, 25th March. The financial crisis in Germany is threatening to breaK up th^ Bloc. The National Libeials refuse to co-operate with the Conservatives after the latter's denunciation of the property and inheritance taxss. Germany is evidently on the eve of a serious' internal crisis (stated the Berlin contspondent of the London Daily •Telegraph on sth February). It beccmes daily more evident that the deliberations of the Finance Committee of the Reichstag on the proposed financial refoims which will provido additional Imperial revenue to the amount of £23,000,000 sterling will result in the rejection of the^ entire Government scheme. The fiercest fight is taking place o.i iho death duties, which Conservatives and Centre aliko oppose, but th& widest dissatisfaction is also felt , airout ths Brnndy Monopoly Bill and Bills for the taxing of gas and eleciricity Should the committes finally reject the death duties, it will mean the ' ruin of the entire financial, programme which is 7 identi^ad with the name of Pyince Bulow. What will then happen no one knows. It is not at all likely that the Chancellor will advise the dissolution of" the Reichstag on any such question. He is certainly better _ advised tha>i to go to the country with a programme which jays an additional burden cl 460.1100,000 marks on the taxpayers. It is probable that the extremists wil! accept the death duties in some modified form. '