ority belonging to
preventive arrest and martial law. The whole development proceeds
by way of compromise between the needs of the State and the needs
of protection for the individual. The results vary according to
the particular level of civilisation reached by the particular
State. (Socialist cries of 'Very true.') We are not at the lowest
level. When one considers the state of things in Germany in peace
time we can be proud. (Socialist interruptions.) I am proud of
Germany. I think that our constitutional system before the
outbreak of war and our level of _Kultur_ were such as every German
could be proud of. ('No, no.') I hope that we shall soon be able
to revert to those conditions."

Herr Helfferich went on to argue that repression in Germany is
really much milder than in France, England, or Italy; and for the
debate on the censorship, which followed the debate on preventive
arrest, he came armed with an account of the Defence of the Realm
Acts. When he enlarged upon the powers of the British Government
he was interrupted by cries of "It is a question not of theory but
of practice," and the Socialist leader Herr Stadthagen made a
scathing reply. He said:--

"Even if everything in England is as Herr Helfferich described it,
the state of things is much better there than in Germany. Herr
Helfferich stated the cases in which arrest and search of dwellings
may take place, but those are cases in which similar action can be
taken in Germany in time of peace under the ordinary criminal law.
The Englishman has quite other rights. He has the right to his
personality, and, above all, the officials in England, unlike
Germany, are personally responsible. When we make a law, that law
is repealed by the Administration. That is the whole point, but
Herr Helfferich does not see it, and he does not see that we live
in a Police State and under a police system. Did it ever occur to
anybody in England to dispute the right of immunity of members of
parliament? Did it ever occur to anybody in England to go to
members of the Opposition in Parliament and demand that they should
resign their seats on pain of arrest? Or has anybody in England
been threatened with arrest if he does not withdraw a declaration
against the committee of his party? Two newspapers have been
suppressed in England because they opposed munitions work. I
regret this check upon free criticism in England, but what would
have happened in Germany?