After a short intermission the business meeting began.  Sixteen war measures had been introduced, the most important of which was the one asking for 5,000,000,000 marks to carry on the war.  The leader of the Social Democrats read a statement explaining why his party, despite its opposition on principle to all army and navy appropriations, would vote for the proposed bills.  Without further debates all the bills were passed, and shortly after 5 P.M. the Reichstag adjourned.  At 7 P.M. the Emperor received the presiding officers of the Reichstag to thank them for their prompt and useful work.  He signed the bills, which were immediately published and thus became laws.

The resolute attitude and quick work of the Reichstag reflected the unity and resolution of the entire nation.  Sixty-seven millions of Germans feel, think, and act with their elected representatives.  No party, no class, no creed is standing back; all are imbued with one single thought:  United Germany is unconquerable.

The entire German people are united as never before in their history.  Even 101 years ago, in 1813, the entire population cannot have been so uniformly seized by the spirit of war as at the outbreak of this struggle, which is the people’s war in the truest sense of the word, and which was predicted by Bismarck.  All reigning Princes are going out to fight with the army and have appointed their wives as regents.  Instances include the Kaiser’s son-in-law, the Duke of Brunswick, who appointed his consort, the only daughter of the Emperor, as regent.  The Princes call their people to arms, and they themselves all stand ready to sacrifice all they have.  This example from above carries the nation with them.  The Reichstag knew parties and factions no more, and neither does the nation.  The Emperor sounded the word which has become common property from Koenigsberg to Constance, from Upper Silesia to the Belgian frontier:  “I know only Germans!” And yet how terribly is our nation otherwise disrupted by party strife.  Ill-advised persons across our frontiers hoped that creed differences would make for disunion, Frenchmen and Russians expected to weaken our empire with the aid of Alsatians and Poles.  This hope has been destroyed—­we are a united people, as united as was the Reichstag, the Socialists included.  The latter have for years voted against all army and navy appropriations, have advocated international peace, and last year voted against the bills increasing the army strength.  In many foreign quarters strong hopes were nourished that this party would help them.  But those men did not know our German people.  Our civilization, our independence as a nation was threatened, and in that moment party interest or creed existed no more.  The true German heart is beating only for the Fatherland, east and west, north and south, Protestants, Catholics, and Jews are “a united people of brethren in the hour of danger.”  When Germany was so threatened by Russia, when the German “Peace Emperor” was shamefully betrayed by the Czar of all the Russians, then there was but one sacred party in existence:  The party of Germans.