5,000,000,000 Marks

German headline writers attached exclamation points to such belligerent polysyllabic as "MAJESTATSBELEIDIGUNG!" (High Treason!) Wrathy editors distilled their venom into starkly brutal paragraphs. The week brawled out into a stramash of contention--all because some millions of Germans were preparing to seek the polls and cast their ballots upon the following proposition:

"The German people, through popular initiative and referendum, decree the following law:

"Article 1--The entire fortunes of the princes who have ruled in any one of the German states until the revolution of 1918, as well as the entire fortune of the princely houses, their families and family members, are confiscated without compensation in the interest of the general welfare.

"Article 2--The confiscated property is to be used to aid: "The unemployed.

"The war invalids and the war widows and orphans.

"Those dependent upon the public.

"The needy victims of the inflation.

"The agricultural laborers, tenants and peasants through the creation of free land in the confiscated estates.

"The castles, residences and other buildings to be used for general welfare, cultural and educational purposes, especially for convalescent hospitals and homes for war invalids. . . .

Upon the teetering of this great referendum depended the disposition of property valued at well over 5,000,000,000 gold marks ($11,900,000),