A Bill for preventing the spread of Socialism has been
laid before the Federal Council of Germany. It appears to be a most sweeping and dangerous measure, declaring, for instance, that associations, meetings, and publications used by the Social Democrats to further Socialist and Communist objects calcu- lated to undermine the existing order of the State, are to be prohibited, and that the central authorities of the several States are to be competent to deal with cases arising out of this Bill. These "central authorities" are to be empowered to prohibit all meetings, unless sanctioned by the police, for the apace of one year, and to prohibit the sale of public journals in the streets. In fact, as we gather, the Bill leaves it to the authorities to decide what Socialist and Communist doctrines are, who Socialist and Communist writers are, and to take the most peremptory mea- sures for their suppression. And of course, any one may be declared a Socialist or a Communist. If the Bill is rightly de- scribed, it will, at the discretion of the State Governments, put a complete end to freedom of discussion and freedom of publication. We trust there is little chance of its passing the newly-elected Parliament.
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