ELECTIONS IN GERMANY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19350, 10 December 1924, Page 7

ELECTIONS IN GERMANY

STATE OF THE PARTIES. SOCIALIST GAINS. Press Association —By Telegraph Copyright. LONDON, December 8. Die provisional final German election results give the state of parties as follow: (Social Democrats Nationalists 104 Centre Party b/ People’s Party 50 Communists Democrats Bavarian People’s Party ... 19 Ludendorfflsts ' Economists Farmers ... ■» Hanoverians ** Others °

Compared with the May elections, the Socialists gained 29 seats, and other pai - ties 16. The Communists and Ludendorffists both lost 18 seats. Dr Marx and Dr Stresemann have teen re-elected. —Reuter. AN INCONCLUSIVE VOTE. NO PARTY WITH MAJORITY, BERLIN, December 8. (Received Dec. 9, at 7.40 p.m.) Marshal von Ludendorff has been reelected to the Reichstag. _ . . No party has a clear majority in the new Reichstag, and consequently the existing Government will carry on until the meeting of Parliament in January. Reuter. THE RESULT ANALYSED. VICTORY 7, FOR REPUBLICANS. REACTIONARY FORCES DEFEATED. LONDON, December 8.Reuter’s Berlin correspondent says: “It is now clear that the Republic has been victorious over the forces of reaction and Monarchism, and the policy of the new Government will be conciliation and tne fulfilment of the Treaty of Versailles and the Dawes obligations. The Social Democrats will bo the strongest party in the now Reichstag, with a probable gam of about 35 seats. It is possible that the old so-called Wirth Coalition, composed of Social Democrats, German Democrats, and the Catholic Centre Party, with the support of the 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 Dr Stresemann. “A significant feature of the elections has .teen the complete collapse of the Ludendorfflsts, who have gone over practically en masse to the German National Party, which is now the second strongest party in the House. “’the Communists have also lost considerably, chiefly to the Social Democrats. They have about 45 seats, compared with 62 m the old Reichstag. The Catholic Centre Party has maintained its position, while the German Democrats, the German People’s Party, and the Bavarian People’s Party have gained several seats. “There are now three alternatives for the formation of a new Government — firstly, a big 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 Dr Stresemann, with the benevolent neutrality of the Social Democrats.” —Reuter.

A CONFUSED SITUATION.

STABLE GOVERNMENT IMPOSSIBLE.

LONDON, December 8. (Received, Dec. 9, at 10 p.m.) The Daily Telegraph’s Berlin correspondent says that the polling leaves the Reichstag situation almost us ambiguous aa before the dissolution. Apparently a permanent Government majority is impossible without a coalition of Parties, which axe as little qualified to lie down together as the lion and the lamb. All hopes are reviving the old Wirth coalition of Centre, Democrats, and Socialists has disappeared. The present Cabinet cannot continue as it is now more in a minority than before the elections. Dr Marr (the Chancellor) favours a greater coalition of the People’s Party plus the Wirthites, but this has always hitherto been impossible, as the People’s Party fundamentally represents capital while the Socialists represent Labour. Both sides claim a victory, but probably the Communists alone are really pleased. Their chief desire is to see confusion and uncertainty, and this is likely to be even more marked in the new Reichstag than in the old, for the sobering influence of the Dawes report is no longer an issue. There will be endless Cabinet crises, beginning with one of exceptional severity over the formation of a Government.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

THE FINANCIAL REACTION. NEW YORK, December 8. (Received Dec. 9, at 10.35 p.m.) level for the year. The Dutch, Swiss, and Norwegian exchanges also advanced. This movement reflects the satisfactory results of the German elections with the gains of the moderates assuring the uninterrupted operation of the Dawes plan.—A. and N.Z. Cable.