nduct the
grave responsibilities of the office. These principles were firmly
established by the agreement of the federated governments and the
leaders of the majority parties in this honorable House before I decided
to assume the duties of Chancellor. They contain therefore not only my
own confession of political faith, but that of an overwhelming portion
of the German people's representatives--that is, of the German
nation--which has constituted the Reichstag on the basis of a general,
equal, and secret franchise and according to their will.

Only the fact that I know the conviction and will of the majority of the
people are back of me, has given me strength to take upon myself conduct
of the Empire's affairs in this hard and earnest time in which we are
living. One man's shoulders would be too weak to carry alone the
tremendous responsibility which falls upon the government at present.
Only if the people take active part in the broader sense of the word in
deciding their destinies, in other words, if responsibility also extends
to the majority of their freely elected political leaders, can the
leading statesman confidently assume his part of the responsibility in
the service of folk and Fatherland.

My resolve to this has been especially lightened for me by the fact that
prominent leaders of the laboring class have found a way in the new
government to the highest offices of the Empire. I see therein a sure
guarantee that the new government will be supported by the confidence of
the broad masses of the people, without whose true support the whole
undertaking would be compelled to failure in advance. Hence what I say
today is not only in my own name, and those of my official helpers, but
in the name of the German people.

The program of the majority parties, upon which I take my stand,
contains first, an acceptance of the answer of the former Imperial
Government to Pope Benedict's note of August 1, 1916, and an
unconditional acceptance of the Reichstag resolution of July 19th, the
same year. It further declares willingness to join the general league of
nations based on the foundation of equal rights for all, both strong and
weak. It considers the solution of the Belgian question to lie in the
complete rehabilitation of Belgium, particularly of its independence and
territorial integrity. An effort shall also be made to reach an
understanding on the question of indemnity. The program will not permit
the peace treaties