A GERMAN ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16498, 26 March 1917, Page 4

A GERMAN ELECTION.

A cablegram from Holland published on Saturday gave an interesting glimpse of the state of public opinion in Germany. It recorded that a by-election had been held at Potsdam to fill the seat in the .German Reichstag held by Dr. Liebk.necht, who is. now in'prison, and that the poll had resulted in the return of Heir Mehring. For some' time Herr Mehring has been under " preventive arrest." He was probably in prison when the election was held. His case, among others, was reviewed in the Reichstag in October last by a Socialist deputy, In a letter to Herr Herzfeld, a member of the Reichstag, Mehring stated that he was in favour of a peace demonstration in Potsdam Square, and offered to draw up a manifesto inviting the public to attend such- a demonstration .The, . letter 'was intercepted by the Government, and Herr Mehring was arrested. He was not tried, butlike many other Germans, he was placed in what is called the preventive prison. This course was defended by Herr Helfferich, the German Minister .• for Finance, on the ground that " it was preferable that he should be in prison rather than that ho should be at liberty and able to commit an act for which he would have to be punished." , % The system '■' is, of course, convenient for the German authorities. It ; enables ' ■ them }* to imprison without evidence and without trial. But it would :appear to have its drawbacks, inasmuch as Serr Mehring, having no conviction against him,, would be eligible for, a seat in the Reichstag. His return may be due wholly to a 'desire for peace, or it may be in part a protest against the system of preventive arrest and against the conviction of Dr. Liebknecht. In either case, it is a decided •departure from the unquestioning submission ; to authority, which is so,, strongly marked in the German character. ;j