GERMAN GOVT. MAY SINK IN ROUGH SEAS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17878, 21 June 1926, Page 15

GERMAN GOVT. MAY SINK IN ROUGH SEAS.

POLITICAL GALE RAGES OVER COUNTRY. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.-—Copyright Reuter’s Telegrams. BERLIN, June 19. Whether the Government barque will be able successfully to negotiate the rapids of the next few days' events is at present the topic of anxious and excited conjecture with the approach of the referendum, which will be taken to-morrow on the subject of the dispropriation of the ex-rulers. Public ferment is being ventilated at monster demonstrations where prominence is given to banners which suggest that the protagonists interpret the referendum as marking the struggle of monarchy versus republic. Dr Stresemann, interviewed, ridiculed such a contention, but pointed out that whereas the plebiscite was a move by the Socialists and Communists in favour of the dispossession of the former rulers without compensation, the Government, on the other hand, had prepared a compromise Bill, making a distinct difference between State and private propertv leaving the exrulers a certain amount of private property. Governmental circles are confident that the requisite 19,500,000 votes will not be obtained in favour of confiscation, though, should calculations be falsified, the consequences will be most disastrous, since President Hindenbury and the Government will resign. Piirther than that, the Federal States, notably Bavaria, will refuse to carry out the confiscation and the result will lie chaos.