PRUSSIA'S FORMER RULERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 11

PRUSSIA'S FORMER RULERS.

PROPERTY COMPENSATION. TERMS OF AGREEMENT. LARGE REDUCTIONS MADE. By Telegraph—Pres3 Association—Copyright. (Received 7.35 p.m.) A. and N.Z. BERLIN. Oct. 6. It is learned from reliable sources that the new agreement for the compensation of former Prussian royal personages provides for a cash payment of £750.000 in respect of their land and forests instead of the £1,500.000 which was originally proposed. The llohenzollerns will in addition receive 180,000 acres of land instead of 267.000. Tn consequence of the reductions two additional castles will revert to the State. It is confidently anticipated that the Prussian Diet will accept the compromise. Advices from Berlin on September 20 stated that a tentative agreement regarding the property claims of the ex-Kaiser had been made between the latter's legal advisers and the Prussian Government. Under the terms of this agreement the Government would give the ex-Royal Family £1,500,000 in cash and several castles and country estates. The agreement would .have to be endorsed by the Prussian Parliament before it could come into effect. The Communists had ! already announced that they would j oppose it. Early in December, 1925, public in- | dignation was aroused by the tentative settlement which it was announced the Prussian Government had made with the | ex-Kaiser. The Republicans argued that it was unfair that a tromendous sum of ready money and exceedingly valuable property should bo handed over to Wilhelm while the property of millions of Germans w« dissipated by inflation with most slender hopes of a recovery. It was calculated then that the ex-Kaiser would receive ■ money and property./ of a total value of £11,250,000 in addition to £2500 which is now paid to him every month by Prussia. The Republicans and Socialists demanded that the financial arrangements between the separate- States and former Royalty should bo considered a political nuestion to he solved only by legislation. Wilhelm was not satisfied with his amazing bargain. He proposed to ask Poland to settle accounts with him. He was then said to ho very likely to present a bill to France for properties in Alsace.