GERMAN ELECTIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 27

GERMAN ELECTIONS

PROGRESS OF SOCIALISM. THE SECOND BALLOTS. BERLIN, January 15. The Socialists claim that they polled 4,225,0CX) votes at the elections, being an increase of 965,000 over the last election. The party offers its help to any candidate against the Right and Centre parties on condition that he will resist any alteration in the franchise for voting for members of the Reichstag and fresh taxation on articles of general consumption. No pledge is required as to expenditure on the army and navy. January 16. It is stated that the English officer Trench, who is serving a sentence for spying, had apparently attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself in the fortress at Glatz. A warder cut him down before he was hurt. The authorities are convinced that it was a sham attempt. Trench, they say, was hoping that he would be transferred to the hospital, with a view to ultimately escaping. At the first ballots the Socialists polled 4.238.000 votes, the Centre party 2.012.000 the National Liberals 1,671,000, the Radicals 1.556,000, and the Conservatives 1,159,000, out of a total of 12,188,000. January 19. The Government has failed to organise a bloc against the Socialists owing to the National Liberals and the Radicals refusing to enter. • ’Pile leaders of the Centre party and the Conservatives have ordered their parties to abstain from voting where the choice is between the Radicals and the Socialists. January 21. The second ballots have so far resulted in the election of 9 Conservatives, 6 Imperialists, 20 National Liberals (imduding Herr Basserman and Die Junck and

Pasiche), 17 Radicals and People’s party, 8 Social Democrats, and 7 members of the Centre 1 party. The latter have gained two and lost five seats, the Socialists gained eight and lest five, and the National Liberals gained ten and lost six. Count Moltke, of the Imperial party, and a former Prussian Minister of the Interior, was defeated. VIENNA, January 15. The Reichspost declares that the new Reichstag is confronted with a further increase in the army’s peace footing, and with a Navy Bill providing for a moderate increase in armed cruisers and a third high sea squadron. This will permit the fourth squadron to remain in reserve, while the other two will keep permanently in the North Sea. The new squadron will be stationed at Kiel, and 5000 extra seamen will be required.