Dr. Oertel, the Agrarian Conservative Deputy, who was the principal
speaker on Friday week, admitted that while the King should be the soul of the Government,
he impaired his position by trying to be the Govern- ment itself. "All the threads ought to be collected in
a Sovereign's hands, but a Sovereign should not spin the threads himself." The most telling part of •Dr. Oertal's speech, however, was his retort on Count von Billow for his
inverted reading, d propos of Germany's attitude over the Boer War, of Horace's line, delirant reges plectuntur Achivi. "Who were the Achivi ? Why the Imperial Chancellor, him:. self was an Achivue when he made his speech against Mr. Chamberlain. There were, moreover, other Achivi who roused .
the rancour of the English, as when the magnanimous'tele- gram was despatched after the Jameson Raid.", Dr. Oertel added : "With all respect to Count von Billow, neither, he nor
we were mad." • In a word, Dr. Oertel completely exploded the Chancellor's attempts to disclaim all Ministerial and Im.Perial
responsibility for the dissemination of German Anglophohia, Dr. Oertel is not a friend of Britain, but he is clearly an honest man.
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