"Thunder-Weather!"

Old Paul von Hindenburg recovered last week, from a fortnight's attack of influenza* an attack which by his orders was kept secret. When one is 81* the newspapers make such a fuss over even a cold! After breakfast on his first morning out of bed Der Alte Feldmarschall opened a paper which contained not a line about his health, but headlined certain conferences among politicians, and remarked in passing that as a result President von Hindenburg would approve the inclusion of such-and-such Catholic Centrists in the Cabinet.

"Dormer-wetter! (thunder -weather)" roared Old Paul. "They should have consulted me first about what I am going to do, these politicals, these newspaper jack-anapeses! After all, I am President of the Republic!" Of course the "Thunder-weather" ended by Old Paul's appointing those the politicians wanted--three Catholic Centrists-- to the Coalition Cabinet of Socialist Chancellor Hermann Mueller. Earlier in the week Socialist Deputies in the Reichstag had almost upset the Cabinet by clamoring against an appropriation bill for the completion of Germany's potent new 10,000-ton armored cruiser (TIME, Nov. 26). Chancellor Mueller, under fire from these pacifists in his own party, first threatened to resign, then went into a prolonged huddle with the leaders of all parties. The result--most agreeably surprising --was a general compromise among factions which have been battling for months, and the decision of the potent Catholic Centre Party to adhere again to the Coalition Cabinet, from which they bolted in a huff during the winter. Room was made for three Catholic Centre ministers by the resignation of a Socialist, a Social Democrat and a member of the Bavarian People's Party. Leading the Catholic Centrists back to the fold came famed Dr. Josef Karl Wirth, one of the early and great Chancellors of the new German Republic (1921-22) who now becomes Minister of Occupied Territories. Onetime (1921) Prime Minister of Prussia Dr. Adam Stegerwald was appointed Minister of Transport. The Ministry of Justice was turned over to Theodor von Guerard. The Cabinet now includes representatives of parties holding 300 of the 491 Reichstag seats. Paradoxically, however, this does not mean that Dr. Mueller has a sure majority or a whip hand. Quite the reverse. Each party retains complete liberty of action and the Socialist flare-up of last week against the Socialist Chancellor shows that the German Government continues--as it has been for many years --delicately inter-balanced among many factions, no one strong enough to dominate.

*Scientist Einstein, 50, is still considered "too young" to receive a birthday congratulation from President von Hindenburg, who is often criticized for this omission. Like the first German President, Friedrich Ebert, Old Paul sends official birthday greetings never to citizens under 50, seldom to those under 60, occasionally to distinguished personages in their 70's and frequently to gaffers who, like himself, have lived some 29,000 days.