The Bill for the increase of the German Army was
brought in in the German Parliament on March 1st, and on March flnd was handed over to a Select Committee, which is .considered "almost tantamount to acceptance." The Bill was supported by Count von Moltke, in a speech commented on elsewhere ; and opposed by Herr Richter von Hagen, the Progressist, who proposed, as a compromise, to vote for the Bill, if service were reduced to two years; by Dr. Windthorst, the Ultramontane, who declared that Germany could not be
• armed against any possible coalition, and that her best guarantee was her alliance with Austria ; and by Herr Babel, the Socialist, who denounced the military system at large. The debate was not very real, for no great soldier in the German Parliament opposes Government ; and the Bill was supported not only by the friends of the Administration, but by the Con- servatives and by the National Liberals, led by Herr von Ben- nigsen. In the debate the official speakers pointed to French as well as Russian preparations, and dwelt most on them ; but independent Deputies spoke of Russia, and one—Count von Frankenberg—openly avowed his fear that the Emperor Alex- ander's hand would be forced, and Russia driven into an attack on Germany. The Bill, it is morally certain, will be passed.
Previous page
