I020 GERMANY 



the Opposition 202; Danes i; Independents 3; Total 397. The most striking fact of 

 the elections was the sweeping success of the Social Democrats, who polled 34.8 per 

 cent of the total votes registered (as against 28.9 per cent in looj). 1 



The new Reichstag opened on February 7, 1912, and in the speech from the Throne 

 social legislation was promised a first place in the deliberations of the House. A 

 hope was expressed that the state would before long become financially sound, so that, 

 The Socialists among other things, the army and the navy might both be strengthened. 

 Presidency of The first work of the Reichstag was to elect a President. The choice 

 the Reichstag, f ell on Dr Spahn, a member of the Centre, the second strongest party 

 in the House. To have given the Socialists the prize was really too much for all the 

 parties, but the Socialists could not be kept out altogether. Accordingly of the two 

 Vice-Presidents one was a Social Democrat (Herr Scheidemann) and the other a Na- 

 tional Liberal (Herr Paasche). But the possibility of a Socialist Speaker was a thorn 

 in the side of the Presidential Board, and Herr Spahn resigned, followed shortly after 

 by Herr Paasche. Sittings were held to fill these vacancies, and for a day or two a 

 Social Democrat presided over the German Reichstag for the first time in its history. 

 On February 14, 1912 Herr Kaempf was elected President and Herr Dove second 

 Vice-President. The Socialist element was still tolerated. But when the day to 

 confirm these elections came round the House had apparently decided to eliminate 

 the Social Democrat. 



This was a small affair compared to the difficult financial situation. The troubles 

 of the summer of 1009 seemed to be reviving. The War office and the Admiralty 



demanded extra expenditure; therefore fresh sources of revenue were 

 Financial necessary* When the Secretary to the Treasury (Herr Wermuth) hinted 

 defence. at fresh taxation, the Centre and the Conservatives were up in arms 



against a revival of the death duty proposals (February 1912). In the 

 end the army and navy authorities obtained their vote for increased expenditure, 

 but no provision was made for obtaining corresponding revenue. Herr Wermuth 

 regarded this as a wrong principle and resigned in consequence (March 16, 1912), 

 being succeeded by Herr Kiihn. There can be no doubt that Herr Wermuth's dis- 

 appearance was a victory for the blue-black bloc. The question remains, if the bloc 



objected to fresh taxation, what alternative proposals had they to offer? 

 the'ceatre. The abolition of the so-called Liebesgabe (the rebate of duty on spirits 



which is enjoyed by distilleries in regard to the amount of spirits distilled 

 before 1888), was their reply a course which would produce some 1,500,000 fresh 

 revenue. But even the Centre party did not for a moment pretend that this would 

 cover the cost of the Defence Bills. The main thing, however, was that a Parlia- 

 mentary conflict was avoided or postponed. But at what cost! It was a surrender 

 to the Centre party and the acceptance of a policy which was not that of the Imperial 

 Chancellor, and which was regarded by an able Finance Minister as so unsound that 

 he resigned rather than adopt it. 



A new legislative period opened in January 1912 for several of the states in the 

 Federation. The Prussian Diet met for a new session on the isth, and the speech 

 Socialists in ^ rom ^~ Throne foreshadowed the introduction of an income tax. The 

 the Prussian contrast between the position of the Socialist deputies in the Prussian 

 "ateDhts. Assembly and that in the Reichstag was well illustrated by the ejection 



of two of their number from the former (May 9) for a disorderly scene 

 the only means at their disposal in that House for making themselves heard and 

 their subsequent trial (September 23, 1912) before a criminal court. Yet only in 

 Prussia is their position such. Elsewhere they show, if not the same, at any rate 

 some progress in the various state Diets. In Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, for example, 

 the President of the Landtag (February 28, 1912) is a Social Democrat. Again, in 



] The principal parties polled votes as follows: Conservatives 3 per cent in 1912 (as 

 against 4 in 1907); the National Liberals 13.6 per cent (14.5 in 1907); the Centre, 16.4 per 

 cent (19.4 in 1907) and the Radicals 12.3 per cent (10.9 in 1907). 



