Policies, Politics

The new German Government, headed by Chancellor Stresemann, has been consolidating its position with some success, considering the state of the country.

It was reported erroneously last week that Herr von Bergen had been appointed Foreign Minister. Chancellor Stresemann in his first speech to the Reichstag stated that he would conduct the affairs of the Foreign Office himself for the present. Herr von Bergen (at present German Ambassador to the Vatican) may be appointed Foreign Minister later.

Herr Hilferding, Socialist Minister of Finance in the Stresemann Cabinet, is one of the most active of the new ministers. His first act was to throw all his strength against Herr Havenstein, President of the Reichsbank, and Herr von Glasenaff, Vice President, with a view to forcing their resignations. The fall of these men is certain. Havenstein will probably be supplanted by Herr Bergmann, at present director of the Deutsehland Bank.

The Finance Minister started other reforms in motion: tax collecting is proceeding on strictly business lines to the embarrassment of big business men, freight charges were raised 2,000%, the postal telegraph and telephone services are all being put on a sound paying gold basis. On account of these reforms the cost of living advanced 192.2% last week with considerable damage to Herr Hilferding's popularity.

That Stresemann has broken definitely with the industrialists and particularly with Herr Hugo Stinnes was revealed when Die Deutsche Allegemeine Zeitung, a Stinnes Berlin daily, was suspended for three days for having attacked the Chancellor.

A rumor spread over the entire world that Herr Stresemann had been assassinated. The Chancellor laughed heartily when he heard the news on the following morning.

The situation in Berlin is quieter, the Communist strike having utterly failed. In the rest of Germany, however, fighting and general disorders were reported, particularly at the following places:

The Ruhr. Numerous clashes occurred between half-starved townsfolk and the peasants. Fields were robbed of potato crops and other farm products were stolen by the desperate workers. The situation improved later when the Berlin Government succeeded in sending 809 food cars into the Ruhr, but the repressive tactics of the French are reputed to be making the situation dangerous. Hamburg. Martial law was pro claimed by the Senate on account of rioting on the part of the striking shipyard workers. Fights, resulting in fatal casualties, occurred between the strikers and the police. Lubeck. Communists seized the town and forced the Senate* to retire. Reichswehr troops tried unsuccessfully to restore order. Crefeld. Several Germans wounded during demonstration in favor of Rhineland Republic. Zeitz, Saxony. Sanguinary fighting between Communists and the militia. Nine Communists were killed and 30 wounded. The casualties among the troops are unknown. Langen. Revolutionary Committee of unemployed clashed on several occasions with the security police. Many casualties resulted. In addition to these places minor disturbances occurred in places too numerous to mention. The situation is expected to quiet down as soon as the Government in Berlin begins to make its influence felt outside the capital.

* Lubeck is a free City-State (Freie und Hanse-Stadt Lubeck) and a member with Hamburg and Bremen in the Hanseatic League. Sovereignty is vested in the peonle, who elect a Burgerschaft (House of Burgesses), which in its turn elects a Senate.