In the Reichstag on Wednesday Herr von Bethmann Hollweg made
his first speech since he became Chancellor on the general foreign policy of Germany. He was chiefly con- cerned to answer the charge that he had shown "weakness or complaisance "—we quote from the Times—in his negotiations with other Powers. He agreed that there was no more important task for German foreign policy than the promotion of economic interests. German diplomatists abroad were instructed to devote themselves to that task, and he challenged his critics to name a single instance in which the German Foreign Office had been wanting in its duty. It had been said that the situation had changed appre- ciably since the fall of the Bloc, and that he was weak because he had no steady majority behind him. He asked all parties to repudiate that idea. He had never for a moment allowed the exigencies of domestic politics to deter him from taking what he thought was the right line for his country in foreign affairs. On the whole, the Chancellor's speech was favourably received. It had a note of simplicity and frankness, although it lacked the well-known ingenuity and humour of Prince Billow. We should think that the Chancellor could well ignore the criticism that the commercial interests of Germans abroad are neglected.
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