GOVERNING GERMANY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 43, 15 February 1912, Page 6

GOVERNING GERMANY.

THE SUPREME; AUTHORITY. “Despite universal franchise, the German Empire is not a democracy ■(says,a writer.in the: “Round Table”). The Reichstag is the least important of the two Houses of the German Parliament. Generally speaking, it can only accept or reject projects sent to it for .consideration by the Upper House,: the JBundesrat. The Bundesrat is not a house of peers; it is a diplomatic body representing the governments—all of them autocratic in character compared with Anglo-Saxon governments—of the States of Germany. In the Bundesrat, Prussia is practically supreme, because in fact it always initiates proposals, and because it can veto tho proposals of others. In Prussia the electoral system is such that it gives almost complete power to the Junkers, the most Conservative squireens of the centre and east, and under tin; throe-class system of voting, nothing, save their own consent or revolution, can deprive them of their power. And, because Prussia controls the Empire, the agrarian and conservative classes also control the national affairs of Germany . Neither in Prussia nor Germany, however, is there a Cabinet responsible to a parliamentary majority. The Chancellor and tiio first Prussian Minister, who is always the same, is appointed by the Kaiser. He is, as a rule, a person acceptable to tho Kaiser, the bureaucracy, and tho leaders of the more conservative parties. Constitutionally, lie cannot be turned out of office by an adverse vote, though, if the assembly made up its mind to do so, it could force him to resign, and might even control the appointment of his successor. But the majority never wishes to bring tilings to a crisis because the privileged position of the Junker, and tho inordinately high protection enjoyed by the agricultural classes are all hound up with the present system of government.

“The Government of Germany, therefore, rests on an understanding between the agrarian representatives and the higher official classes. This system produces a number of had effects. It means that Germany never has a change of Government. The Emperor may drop one Chancellor through an oubliette if his policy becomes too unpopular, but the real Government—the combination of the agrarians and the bureaucracy—goes on undisturbed. And tin's leads to government by intrigue to an extent which is incredible to Anglo-Saxon communities. All the great interests —manufacturing and financial—have to intrigue with the bureaucracy because they cannot protect their interests by ordinary parliamentary moans. And the bureaucracy intrigues endlessly for place and power within itself. In countries under the parliamentary system power goes to those who can command the confidence of Parliament or 1 lie electorate. Put where the civil service rules power goes with nomination and nominations are best obtained by canvass and ‘pull’ behind the scenes.”