Die Hohenzollerne Frage

What the Germans call die hohenzollerne Frage (The Hohenzollern Question) trespassed upon the private property of international politics and caused grave disorientation among the Allies.

In the first place, the rumor (TIME, Nov. 19) that the ex-Kaiser had received his passports and was about to enter Germany proved to be unfounded, although there was a possibility of the ex-All Highest having changed his mind.

The ex-Crown Prince, who arrived quite safely at Oels in Silesia and received a quiet welcome from the natives, said he had put aside his ambition and was prepared to work on his estate for Germany. Chancellor Stresemann defended his return by saying that " this is no time to make martyrs. . . . An outcry would have been raised not only by the Nationalists but by the German people if a father of a family were not allowed to come back after five years' expulsion from his native country." Dr. von Hoesch, German Charge d'Affaires in Paris, also defended the return of "little Willy" to the Fatherland to the Quai d'Orsay, French Foreign Office. He pointed out that the principle of granting a passport to the former heir to the Imperial throne had been accepted during October, even by the Socialists, after the Prince had renewed his renunciation of " all his hereditary rights " and promised again to devote himself to agriculture.

The attitude of the French was adequately summed up by Le Matin, which said: "If England is satisfied with such explanations it is because she is easily satisfied." A meeting of the Conference of Ambassadors was summoned under the presidency of M. Jules Cambon (French Ambassador to Washington in 1898) who said that the return of the ex-Crown Prince was so closely allied to the question of disarmament control in Germany that it should be treated as one and the same question. He then proposed the occupation of Hamburg by the British and the occupation of Frankfort, Bremen and Elbesfeld by the French. The occupation of Hamburg scheme was later denied by the Quai d'Orsay.

The proposal to inflict more penalties on the Germans found the British and the Italians in violent opposition to the French, so much so that it was considered that the rickety Entente Cordiale had received its death blow. Continued negotiations by the Ambassadors, however, brought about a compromise. It was agreed that from Dec. 1 the Allied Military Commission must be "empowered and enabled to resume its operations to the full extent which it judges useful and reasonable and that if Germany places any obstacles in its way, the Allies will agree on measures to be taken. "Regarding the return of the ex-Crown Prince, it was decided to take no action owing to the presentation by Dr. von Hoesch of the following document dated Dec. 1, 1918, at Wierengen:

" I resign herewith definitely and expressly all rights to the Crown of Prussia or the Emperor's Crown which could result from the resignation of his Majesty, the Kaiser, or any other reason. (Signed) FREDERICH WILLIAM, CROWN PRINCE.

Nevertheless, and all other reports to the contrary, the monarchical situation in Germany is serious. The blunders of the republican governments and the poverty of the people have made a greater part of these look with hope toward a monarchy as their only salvation.

The delay in making the attempt to restore the monarchy is caused only by disagreement as to who shall be called to the Imperial throne. The Kaiser is unlikely because of his universal unpopularity; the Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm was believed to have again positively refused the honor; Crown Prince Rupprecht, virtual King of Bavaria, is barred because he is a Catholic; the latest known plan was to place the eldest son of the ex-Crown Prince (Wilhelm Friedrich Franz Joseph Christian Olaf) on the throne with a regency for Friedrich Wilhelm.