was a struggle against “Ultramontanism”, failed to break Ultra¬ montanism down, but they did succeed in splitting the Nationalist movement. I must add my warning, in case some immature brain in the Nationalist movement should imagine that it can do what a Bis¬ marck was unable to do. It will be the main duty of those who lead the National Socialist movement to oppose absolutely any attempt to offer the services of their movement for any such struggle, and to expel from its ranks on the spot those who conduct propa¬ ganda for that objective. As a matter of fact, we had continuous success in this throughout the autumn of 1923. Fervent Protestants could stand side by side with fervent Catholics in our ranks without the slightest qualms of conscience as regards their religious con¬ victions.
The States of the American Republic did not make the Union, but it was the Union which created most of the so-called States. The very comprehensive rights granted to the various territories express not only the essential character of that Union of States, but are in harmony with the vastness of the area which they cover, almost attaining to the dimensions of a continent.
Thus, in speaking of the States of the American Union, one cannot refer to them as having State sovereignty, but as enjoying rights, or, better perhaps, privileges, determined and guaranteed by the Constitution.
In Germany, however, the individual States were originally sovereign States, and the Empire was formed out of them. But the formation of the Empire did not take place by reason of the free will and equal co-operation of the individual States, but because one State, Prussia, achieved hegemony over the others. The great difference in size of territory between the German States by itself prevents any comparison with the American Union. Moreover, the difference in size between the smallest of them and the larger, or rather the largest of them, demonstrates the inequality of achievement and of the share in founding