24 JANUARY 1925, Page 1
NEWS OF THE WEEK
AFTER an inordinately long period of bargaining among the various parties a new Government has been formed in Germany. Herr Luther, the Chancellor, who himself belongs to the moderate Right, has a fairly distinct policy of his own and would undoubtedly take a line thoroughly favourable to European peace if he could have his way. Unfortunately, the result of all his negotiations is that he has been compelled to accept a predominant number of Nationalist Ministers. He wants one thing, they want another ; and this artificial Government has been nicknamed " the Ersatz Govern- ment " in reminiscence of those synthetic commodities which did service for the genuine articles during the War.
