Pre-EIection Notes

Acting President. Dr. Walther

Simons, former Foreign Minister in the Cabinet of Chancellor Fehrenbaca (1920-21) and lately President of the German Supreme Court at Leipzig, was last week elected by the leaders of the big political parties President cf Germany ad interim.

The agreement to this effect was doubtless made to relieve Chancellor Luther of the onerous task of discharging simultaneously the duties of President and Chancellor. As the forthcoming Presidential election may not be over until the end of April, the strain cf occupying two important offices over such a stretch of time would necessarily impose an intolerable burden upon the Chancellor. Moreover, it was pointed out by The New York Times, that, if the Government were forced to resign before a President were elected, Chancellor Luther would be in the same sort of situation as was the Pooh-Bah in Gilbert & Sullivan's famed Mikado, viz: Luther as Chancellor would be obliged to tender his resignation to himself as President and having accepted his own resignation would have to find a successor for himself as Chancellor.

Date. The date on which the Presidential election is to be held was changed from Apr. 26 to Mar. 29. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of the votes of the populace, as seems likely, a second election will be held in April; and the candidate receiving a relative majority will be declared President of the German Republic.

Catholics. The candidate of the Centre or Catholic Party is ex-Chancellor Wilhelm Marx, a priest. Herr Marx cannot be elected President by his own Party but must count on a heavy Socialist vote. It seems unlikely that the Socialists, who are Protestants, will vote for a Catholic priest; but the Catholic Party tried to bring pressure to bear on the Socialists by reminding them that it was mainly by virtue of the Catholic vote that the late Herr Ebert was appointed President.

Socialists. The Social Democratic Party (Socialists) ignored the Catholic pleas and nominated Herr Otto Braun, ex-Minister President of Prussia, as their candidate for the Presidency. This probably means that the Catholics, many of whom are Monarchists, especially those from South Germany, will be driven, through lack of support for their own candidate, to vote for the Monarchist nominee. The same applies to the Democrats, who are not going to nominate a candidate of their own.

Monarchists. The Monarchist Parties (principally the Nationalists and German People's Party) made no nominations. Some names suggested: ex- Emperor Wilhelm II, ex-Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince Eitel Friedrich, Chancellor Luther (who, although loudly boomed, was expected to step down in favor of Herr Jarres), Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, General-feldmarschal von Hindenburg, ex-Minister of the Interior Jarres. The last named seemed the likliest candidate as, although a Monarchist at heart, he belongs to the German People's Party and is known to favor the continuance of a Republic for the present. As a matter of fact, any Monarchist candidate would be obliged to endorse the Republic to secure his election, even the ex-Kaiser or the ex-Crown Prince, both of whom are ridiculous possibilities in more ways than one.

Communists. With the usual fanfaronade of red talk and red flags, the Communists were prompt to nominate one Comrade Thalmann as their candidate for the Presidency but, as far as could be discovered from despatches, no anti-Communist was worrying.