The Berlin correspondent of the Times, in commenting on the
Chancellor's speech on Monday, notes that the Govern- ment evidently count on the Conservatives, the Centre, and the National Liberals voting the whole demand of about 265,000,000. None the less, the correspondent regards the proposals of the Imperial Government as tantamount to an entire suspension of all the ordinary principles of finance and Parliamentary procedure. "Not only is the bulk of the money to be raised by an extraordinary levy, but in regard to permanent taxation also, inconvenient party principles are to be suspended, battles about death duties and so on are to be given up, and there is, in fact, to be a 'holiday year' in domestic politics." He also notes that on the admission of the Cologne Gazette very large sums of money are being with- drawn from German banks and exported to Switzerland.
