Sept 18.
Dr, Bruening, the German Chancellor, and the members of his Cabinet have taken 9 courageous step in deciding to continue in office and face a hostile Reichstag with thew programme—of economic, financial cial reforms which received so meagre a do-gree of support in the General Election, This action is tan amount to a decision to oppo! the rising tide of extremism as revealed by the Election results and to assemble the forces of constructive political thought in the country to maintain the continuity of a policy which has placed Germany: on the road to rehabilitation and reconstruction. By continuing in office until October 13 when the new Reichstag meets, an opportunity is provided for Dr, Bruening to proceed with his negotiations for the formation of a coalition of moderates which will check this new manifestation in German political life, General elections are notoriously fickle things but for 2 country to wake up and find itself "stunned," as the telegrams phrase it, reveals the acute appreciation of the situation into which the country has been plunged by the election. country's present depressed condition in their angling for the workers' votes. Their offer of ce-operation with the present Government is undisguisedly an attempt to further their dictatorship objectives, while their praposals for the dissolution of the: Prussian Diet and the holding' of new Prussian elections strike directly at the institution. Germany's political history since the establishment of the Republic has been brightened by the record of Prussia which, ruled by 'a workable combination with the slightest "of majorities, has acted as a decisive factor in pre serving the unity of the Reizh during these difficult' years. Without this firm example of. Prussia, Germany's progress would not have been so consistent and an attempt to undermine this stabilizing factor would be detrimental to national interests. Whether the National-Socialis's and the Communists will prove to be cordial team-mates remains to be seen but they must acquire additional strength from the difficult task Dr, Bruening faces in attempting to reconcile the views of the several moderate parties to form the "grand coalition" which is the only hope for stemming extremism in the new Reichstag.
There is no reason to regard the "grand coalition" in. any. dubious light. In England coalitions are very distasteful to the political palate and are regarded as troublesome makeshifts at the best. In Germany they are regarded in a different light. The history of the Republic has been a series of coalitions and it was this form lof compromise government which hung together so tenaciously until the foreign aims, the negotiation of a final reparations settlement and the termination of foreign military occupation, had been achieved. There are tremendous difficulties confronting Dr. Bruening in his task but, on the other hand, there are tremendous consequential dangers unless he succeeds in accomplishing it. Freed from the self-imposed discipline directed primarily at freeing the country from foreign control and supervision, and aggravated by the existing economic depression, these forces of extremism would hinder rather than faeilitate the country's progress. The maintenance of the Bruening Government in power depends mwa minor parties, both with|¥pon the negotiations with the tical programmes, have been|Social-Democrats who emerged Glovated' to a position of from the election with their tremendous power.
Both the Position practically unchanged. National Socialists, a Fascist Such powerful support accorded organization, and' the Com- to Dr. Bruening's own party and franiate have. obtained un.|the smaller parties who are expected support in the country and constitute a defi challenge to the parliamentary institutions as represented by the present Government, The National-Socialists favour a semi-dictatorship on Mussolini lines while the Communists favour a Soviet form of Government. Controlling 183 seats out of 576, the danger from this combination lies in the possible amalgamation of these two groups in an anti-parliamentary, programme w' must force the moderates to coalesce in order to save the country from the disastrous consequences likely if the framework of rehabilitation is exposed to such disruptive forces.
The success of the National-Socialists is phenomenal. In the last Reichstag they possessed only 12 seats. Now they have 107 and it is evident that the increase in the electorate since the last election has gone almost entirely in their favour. Led Herr Adolf Hitler, an Austrian subject and a German officer, they are Pan-German, oppose Republicanism, are anti-Semi and' have gained considerable support by exploiting the rallying around him would give 'a majority of about 50 votes in the Reichstag and maintain the Government in power. In the absence of this arrangement, is to be feared that nothing but confusion will result in Germany's political life and the great progress made in the'postwar years nullified. It is a con test between extremism and con-servetism in which the world hopes the good sense of the German people will sway the issue to the proper conclusion. Dr. Bruening's firmness in deciding to continue office and face the new Reichstag, and the realization of other parties that to precipitate a political crisis would be against national interests are re-assuring indications of the way in which the country meeting this difficult situation. In this connection it is pleasing to read the statement of D:. Curtius, the Foreign Minister, at Geneva, that radicalism will not be allowed to influence the Reich's foreign policy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.