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Time came round when Chancellor Hans Luther led his Cabinet into the Reichstag to ask for a vote of confidence, made necessary by the recent election of Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg as President (TIME, May 4, et seq.).

The most important speech uttered was a fiery one from Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann. In a bitter tirade against the Entente Powers, lie attacked them for the non-evacuation of Cologne, for alleging that Germany had been secretly arming without; and, in the course of five months, not being able to draft a note containing specific charges "in such a form that they could deliver it." He affirmed emphatically that Germany was disarmed, calling all reports to the contrary "ridiculous inventions."

A day of bitter argument between Republicans and Monarchists followed. The Republicans expressed faith in President von Hindenburg, but thought that his followers would surely attempt to restore a Kaiser. The Monarchists tried to argue that the President's oath of allegiance to the Republic meant nothing in particular to the Monarchist cause and that the Monarchists would continue to work for a restoration.

On the following day, a Socialist motion for a vote of lack of confidence, because the Government's "conciliatory foreign policy" was sure to be changed by its tendency toward the Right Parties, which were in disagreement with it, was defeated 214 to 219. Twenty-five deputies did not vote.

Another reason for the Socialist vote was the high tariff which the Government intends to impose on cereals, automobiles, etc., to meet the burdens imposed by the Experts' Plan. The Socialists saw in this measure proof that the Government was under the thumb of the grain-growing Junkers. As for the tariff on automobiles, the German trade in them was so hopeless that it would be years before it could catch up with foreign competitors. During this time, apparently, Germans will have to pay far more than the world price for their autos or go without them. Hence there arose from Socialist and Democratic forums cries of: "Down with the Government's rightward tendency!" ''Down with the usurious bread tariff!"