It is thought improbable that any candidate will poll the
necessary majority at the first ballot. At the second ballot no stipulated majority is required ; the candidate who gets the highest number of votes is returned. The Times points out that there is nothing in the law requiring the candidates at the second ballot to be the same that stood at the first. But commonsense may well save the election from an absurdity. Herr Jarrcs' declaration that it would be dangerous for Germany to join the League of Nations unconditionally need not be taken too seriously as Nationalist stock, owing to the failure of the Right in the Prussian Diet, has been falling of late., On the other hand Herr Marx has also lost influence by his failure to form a Prussian Ministry. All we can hope is that moderate opinion will rally to the Republic and to the foreign policy of Herr Stresemann, for in that way alone can we hope for a strong German effort to co- operate with the British Government in the attempt to reach a general settlement.
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