ELECTIONS IN GERMANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18888, 10 December 1924, Page 9

ELECTIONS IN GERMANY.

ANALYSIS op RETURNS.

mm AND STRESEMANN.

both AGAIN returned. NO ABSOLUTE MAJORITY. GOVERNMENT TO CARRY ON. By Teles rap')— Association— Copyright. (Received 9 5 p.m.) F.p liter. BERLIN, Dec. 8. The latest general election returns confirm tin 1 victory of the pro-Republic Parties. The provisional final figures show the state of parties to he as follows : —

Socialists . . • • • • 129 Nationalists W' l Centre Pr.rly _ ... •• 67 German People's Parly . . 50 Communists 44 Democrats • • • • . . 31 Bavarian People's Party . . 19 Ludendorff's Party . . . . 14 Economic i'ai-ty . . • • 10 Farmers' Party . . • . 4 H?,r,overians 4 Others 8

As no party has a clear majority the existing Government will carry on until the meeting of the Reichstag in

January General Ludendorff lias been reelected. Dr. Wilhelm Marx, Chancellor, and Herr Stresemann, Minister for Foreign Affairs, have also retained their seats. Compared with the May elections the Socialists have gained 29 seats and other parties 16. Tho Communists and Ludendorffists have each lost 18 seats. It is now clear that the Republic has been victorious over the forces of reaction and Monarchism. The policy of the new Government will be conciliation and fulfilment of the . peace and of the Dawes obligations. Tho Social Democrats will form the strongest party in the, new Reichstag, with a probable gain of about 35 seats. It is possible that the old irth Coalition, composed of Social Democrats, German Democrats, and the Catholic Centre Party, with the support ,of various minor parties, will have a very small absolute majority over the Opposition, even if the latter includes the German People's Party, led by Herr Stresemann. • The most significant feature of the elections is the complete collapse of the Ludendorffists, who have gone over practically en masse to the German National Party, which will be the second strongest party in the new House. The Communists have also lost considerably, chiefly to Social Democrats. They have about 45 seats, compared with 62 in the old Reichstag. Tho Catholic Centre Party has. maintained its position. The German Democrats, the German People's Party, and the Bavarian People's Party have all gained seats.

' There are now throe alternatives in connection with the formation of a new Government. They are: Firstly, a coalition of the Social Democrats, the German People's Party, the Centre Party, and the Democrats; secondly, a Wirth Coalition; thirdly, the continuance in office of the present Government under Dr. Marx and Herr Stresemann.

AMBIGUOUS SITUATION. ENDLESS CRISES PREDICTED

NEW GOVERNMENT NECESSARY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 10.5 p.m.) . LONDON. Dec. 8.

The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says the polling at the German general elections leaves the Reichstag situation almost as ambiguous as it was before the dissolution. Apparently a permanent Government majority will be impossible without the coalition of parties, who are as little qualified to lie down together as the lion and the lamb.

All hopes of reviving the old Wirth coalition of the Centre Democrats and Socialists have disappeared, says the correspondent. The present Cabinet cannot continue in power as it is now more in a minority than before the election. Dr. Marx favours a greater coalition of the German People's party plus the Wirtwites, but this has always been impossible in the past as the German People's Party fundamentally represents capital, white the Socialists represent Labour.

The correspondent says both sides claim o victory. Probably the Communists alone are really pleased. Their chief desire for confusion and uncertainty is even more likely to be fulfilled in the new Reichstag than it was m the former House, for the sobering influence of the Dawes report is no longer an issue.

l'inally the correspondent predicts that there will be endless Cabinet crises, beginning with one of exceptional severity over the formation of a new Government.

effect on exchange. STERLING IN NEW YORK. NEW HIGH LEVEL REACHED.

Australian and N.Z. Odde Association. Weed. 10.!) p.m.) NEW YORK, Deo. S. 'I he exchange rate For the pound sterling closed to-day at 4 dollars 70 cents. ''liis is a new high level for the year iJuU'h, Swiss and Norwegian exchange also advanced.

Die movement reflects the satisfactory faults of the Herman election*, in which the gains of the moderates assure the uninterrupted operation of the Dawes plan.