GERMANY'S FOLLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18567, 27 November 1923, Page 7

GERMANY'S FOLLY.

STOESEMNN SPEAKS OUT.

"WOE TO THE VANQUISHED."

REALISATION ONLY NOW. SLOW DISILLUSIONMENT. By Telegranh—Press Association — (Received* 9.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Nor. 26. The Berlin correspondent of the Morning Post states that Dr. Stresemann made a significant admission in his last speech in the Reichstag. He said : " Germany only now is realising that she lost the war. Wo have for years deceived ourselves regarding the consequences of a lost war. We now.see these consequences in all their terribleness before us."

The Berlin correspondent of the Times says that Dr. Stresemann, interviewed after his downfall, statad that he took steps to force a decision because the Parliament of Germany must be brought face to face with a measure of its responsibility. Crisis had ; followed crisis. The last mainly centred in home affairs,, but those who provoked it were obstinately blind to the effect produced on greater affairs. Germany's international relations in the present crisis had' convinced him that # & drastic step was necessary to bring this home to German politicians and the German people. If ho had taught them a lesson he would not have acted in vain. He added that if Parliamenary Government was to continue a- new Keichstag would be necessary or the succeeding Government would have the same fate as his own.

THE NEXT GOVERNMENT. ■ EXPERTS AND BUSINESS MEN. COALITION IMPOSSIBLE. (Received 10.5 p.m.) Tiroes. v LONDON. Not. 25. The Berlin correspondent of the Times states that Herr Jarres failed to form a Cabinet. The President, Herr Ebert, is thereby convinced that a Coalition Government in Germany at present is impossible. He sees only one possibility, the formation of a Government of experts and business men, resolved to subjugate personal and political considerations and to put their whole strength into satisfying the needs of the country.. Herr Ebert has appealed again to Dr. Albert, who has accepted the task of forming such a. Government. Dr. Albert was Minister for the Treasury in Dr. Cuno's Cabinet. He was formerly Secretary of the Imperial Exchequer.

U.S. LABOUR APPEAL. FUNDS TO HELP GERMANS. TO SAVE TRADES UNIONS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 6.5 P.m.) NEW YORK. Nov. 25. Mr. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labour, baa approved of an appeal to the 3,000,000 members of the federation to-contribute 10 per cent, of a day's pay to sunnort German trade unions. It is estimated that probably 3,000,000 dollars can be obtained in this' manner, sufficient to afford material aid to German bodies which have sent appeals to the American unions. Mr. Gompers feels that such a contribution would not cnlv be a humanitarian act commendable in self, but would prove a distinctive aid to the cause of democracy in Germany since German unions may bo considered as the only barrier against both Bolshevism and Monai'th'sn / •■••■;•;

FUTILITY OF REICHSTAG. MEMBER'S SCATHING ATTACK. The following frank statement of the views of a member of the Reichstag on the political situation in Germany, contained in a letter to a friend in England, was recently published in the London Daily Telegraph: — When you receive this I shall most probably have ceaaed already to be a member of the Reichstag. Things cannot go on much longer as they are at present. I console myself with the idea that if the Reichstag is dissolved we shall get rid of a crowd of useless individuals and sordid politicians, who have made our Assembly the arena for their shameful wrangling and personal intrigues. Wo are giving to our constituents and to the world in general a disgusting exhibition of democracy turned inside out. Even in this supreme moment of national mourning we have not been able to produce an atmosphere of ciGc dignity and patriotism. 'Surely, it is not the French who are responsible for all this—for the- hair-splitting, empty discussions, /or the vilification of all and sundry, for the political betrayals! If democracy is to be saved in Germany this Reichstag must go. I have never been in sympathy with Stresemann personally. But the way in which he has b'Hi; treated by those who put him into power, and especially by the members of ; his own , party, is simply horrible. His party, the Volkspartei, is full of traitors, with Stinnes and Rheinbaben well in front. Some of Stinnes' principal assistants, who until now have calmlv carried out all his orders for the great betrayal of the German nation, have now stepped back, appalled by the attitude of the great industrialist, whose lack of-, patriotism is equalled only by his lack of tact. Stresemann is fighting Stinnes tooth and nail. . But I doubt if he will succeed, because the combination of the Nationalists with Stinnes is too powerful. .German honour is extinct. The officials at the Wilhelmstrasse are as powerful as ever, an 1 as dangerous. They are con- ] fident of their ability to outlive any regime and to wear down any political opposition. And with all this, at • this moment of supreme shame, we continue to drift along without any definite policy. We have accepted the French victory, but we are afraid to draw the inevitable conclusions. From all owr vie country we hear from our people now tired they are of everything, and how they pray for some definite-settlement. So great is the depression that the hatred for France has begun to disappear under the waves of- a. black despair. People from all over the place tell us that it is better to have the complete surrender to France over and done with than to live in this eternal incertitude and danger. • The Berlin intrieues are shameful. 'Unlit now no Ambassador has been appointed to Paris, and none to Brussels. Is it because we have not the men; or.be* cause the Wilhelmstrasse cannot discover a willing tool? ' When the Reichstag, which is now sinking'into shameful oblivion, came together, it was in the rosy days of our hope of* British intervention. Wc now know that we have been shamefully misinformed. The day will, come when we shall demand the publication ot the reports which came from our ] representatives in London and Washington. For we want to know who is responsible our diplomats in London, who may not have reported the truth, or the high officials in Berlin, who may have ignored reports, which contained advice they did not like. Our partv is as badly split as all the others. Things are bad all round, wherever you look. How I regret that my grandfather made a fortune and left the plough for , the cities, where his descendants were drawn into the vortex of business and politics! Nowadays.it is better in Germany to ra a simple peasant than a business millionaire or celebrated in the intellectual professions.