GERMAN CABINET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 107, 2 April 1930, Page 7

GERMAN CABINET.

CHANGE IN OATH. BERLIN, April 1. A remarkable change in the oath of allegiance to tho German Republic was initiated to-day, when the new Cabinet took the oath in the presence of President Hindenburg at the palace of the President. The new oath is: “I pledge myself to devote all my power to the welfare of the German people, ths, constitution and law, to fulfil my duties conscientiously, and to conduct my business impartially, with justice to every person.” The earlier oath read: “I pledge loyalty to the constitution, obedience to the laws, and. conscientious fulfilment of my official duties.” The change of oath, especially tffij reference to the welfare of the Gefman people, is held to mean that the Cabinet can only count on a precarious majority in the Reichstag and will not hesitate to resort to dictatorial methods if necessary. Herr Treviranus, Minister of Occupied Territories, stated to-day that the Cabinet was ready to collaborate in tho Reichstag, but it could not allow votes of no-confidence and would not allow Parliamentary defeats to interfere with the fulfilment of its duty. He also referred to the readiness of Cabinet to resort to Article 48 of the Constitution, which permits the President to grant a member of Cabinet dictatorial powers. It is manifest that Cabinet must be defeated in the Reichstags unless it obtains the support of somo of the sixty-five Nationalist deputies, as otherwise it will be in a minority of 11, having only 207 votes, compared with. 218 Communists, Socialists and Fascists in opposition.