GERMANY. 



257 



rience to exclude all danger to health and when 

 it is possible to bring satisfactory proof of its 

 innocuous nature on its introduction into the coun- 

 try. It was further provided that the meat must 

 be imported in pieces not less than 4 kilogrammes 

 in weight. The prohibition of the import of canned 

 meat and of sausages was retained, and the restric- 

 tions on the importation of fresh meat were not 

 removed. The bill was passed on the third reading 

 on May 23 by 163 votes to 123. As the bill affects 

 the stock-raising and meat-exporting interests of 

 the United States and Australia, the American 

 and British governments made inquiries. Meat 

 extracts were not included in the prohibition, 

 though the Government has power to extend the 

 application of the bill to them. The bill went 

 into force on Oct. 1. The discriminations which 

 attended the enforcement of former statutes had 

 gone so far toward extinguishing the American 

 trade in meat products with Germany that it was 

 hoped that simpler methods of inspection under 

 this act might even help to revive trade in the 

 meats not prohibited. 



A bill known as the lex Heinze, intended to 

 regulate certain phases of public morality revealed 

 in recent criminal trials, gave occasion to scenes 

 of obstruction such as have not been witnessed 

 in the Reichstag since the days of the Kultiir- 

 kampf. The Clericals introduced amendments 

 making the bill more stringent in regard to the 

 exposure and sale of books and works of art of 

 an objectionable character and the censorship and 

 supervision of theatrical and other public amuse- 

 ments. The Conservatives supported the bill, the 

 National Liberals also in principle, making a large 

 majority in favor of the most puritanical restric- 

 tions. The Social Democrats, joined by the Rad- 

 icals, declared an uncompromising opposition to 

 the measure as placing restrictions on the free- 

 dom of art and of literature. Nearly the whole 

 intellectual world of Germany, the leading rep- 

 resentatives of letters, art, learning, and culture 

 in Perlin, Munich, Leipsic, and other cities, 

 and the general public opinion of the country 

 sustained the Socialists in their resistance. In- 

 dignation meetings and signed remonstrances 

 showed that the measure was regarded as an in- 

 vasion of the most highly valued of German lib- 

 erties. The majority was not deterred, however, 

 from the determination to force it through, and 

 the Clerical President of the Chamber, Graf Balles- 

 trem, whose impartiality till then had won good 

 opinions of all parties, strained the rules to aid its 

 passage and thereby alienated the National Liberal 

 supporters of the bill, enabling the Socialists to 

 block it completely. As it was an amendment 

 of the penal code, the calling of the roll could be 

 demanded by 50 members. The Socialists called 

 for a roll call on each separate clause, and by 

 leaving the hall with the Radicals left the house 

 without a quorum unless the majority parties were 

 present in their full strength. When later the 

 National Liberals joined them in these tactics they 

 were able to prevent action at all times. The re- 

 sult was that the bill was withdrawn and another 

 substituted, identical with the old one in the para- 

 graphs dealing w 7 ith immorality, but not contain- 

 ing the paragraphs affecting art and literature. 

 This was passed rapidly through the house with- 

 out opposition. A motion passed the Reichstag 

 for the abolition of the dictatorship in Alsace- 

 Lorraine, the execution of which rested, however, 

 with the Government. 



The new navy bill was presented in the begin- 

 ning of February, 1900. The nonrecurring ex- 

 penditure for construction and armament of new 

 vessels was estimated at 1,600,000,000 marks and 



VOL. XL. 17 A 



for docks and harbors at 261,000,000 marks. Of 

 the total sum it was proposed to raise 769,000,000 

 marks by loans spread over the sixteen years re- 

 quired for the completion of the new navy, while 

 1,092,000,000 marks will be met from the revenue. 

 The recurring expenditure is expected to increase 

 5,400,000 marks each year during the period, rising 

 from 140,800,000 marks in 1901 to 306,270,000 

 marks in 1916. The bill provides that supplies 

 must be settled every year by the estimates, fixes 

 a maximum which the naval expenditure of each 

 year may not exceed, and retains the paragraph 

 of the old naval bill which lays down the principle 

 that expenditure on the navy shall not be met 

 by increasing indirect taxes on articles consumed 

 by the masses. The bill was supported by the 

 Conservatives, though without enthusiasm, and by 

 the National Liberals. The Clericals withheld 

 their approval until they could learn how the 

 financial means could be provided, as with dis- 

 appearing surpluses and a cutting down of the 

 amortization of debt the country w r as staggering 

 under the demands for the former navy bill and 

 army act of 1899. The Socialists were unanimous 

 in their opposition to the bill. Enthusiasm for a 

 navy in Germany has never been developed except 

 among the manufacturing class, the shipowners, 

 and exporters of the Hanse towns, and the co- 

 lonial enthusiasts. The efforts of a navy league 

 organized for the purpose of awakening an interest 

 in the sea power of the country failed to influence 

 the agricultural classes or to stir the vast bulk of 

 the population living remote from the seaboard. 

 The Clericals and the Conservatives of Agrarian 

 tendencies thought that the trading and industrial 

 classes ought to bear the whole cost of naval ex- 

 pansion, while the Social Democrats were of the 

 opinion that, no matter how the cost might be 

 met, it w y ould cause an increase in the price of 

 bread and other articles of popular consumption. 

 The financial aspect of the question was the first 

 and the principal subject of discussion, and on 

 its solution depended the extent of the increase. 

 The vote of the Clericals was not obtained until 

 the amount of the proposed expenditure was cut 

 down 390,000,000 marks by reducing the number 

 of ships for foreign service. The Government in- 

 sisted that two double squadrons were necessary, 

 as the German fleet would have to maintain its 

 superiority both in the Baltic and the North Sea. 

 As amended by the budget committee, the navy 

 bill, superseding the sexennate act of 1898, pro- 

 vides that the future strength of the navy shall 

 be two double squadrons, each consisting of a flag- 

 ship and 16 battle ships, 8 great and 24 small 

 cruisers for service with the fleets, 3 great and 

 15 small cruisers for service on foreign stations, 

 and a reserve of 4 battle ships and 4 great and 

 6 small cruisers. It is expected that the fleet will 

 be brought up to the stipulated strength by the 

 end of 1920. The Budget Committee reported in 

 favor of fresh and increased taxation, although 

 the Government had taken the ground that none 

 would be necessary. A resolution from the Center 

 restricted the amount to be raised by loans and 

 enjoined the Government to use any surplus that 

 might ensue from the new taxes in the reduction 

 of debt. The stamp duty on lotteries was doubled, 

 and a stamp duty of 1 per cent, on every mining 

 share issued and of 0.1 per cent, on sales of mining 

 shares was decreed. On the sale of other securities 

 a transfer tax of 0.03 per cent, is levied. The 

 import duty on foreign champagne was increased 

 50 per cent., that on foreign spirits 33i per cent., 

 and the protectionist principle was carried further 

 by increasing the duty on foreign beer 50 per 

 cent., affecting the Pilsen beer of Bohemia, which 



