Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-12
HIGH COUNCIL CALLED
German Bundesrath to Dis
cuss Kaiser's Case.
MEETINGS RARELY HELD
Believed in Berlin Federal Body Will
Take Some Action.
BAVARIA TO TAKE THE LEAD
Unusual Session Said to Have Been
Called at Instance of
Prince Luitpold.

BERLIN November 12.--The meeting
which is to take place in Berlin today OF
the foreign affairs committee of the bund-
esrath or federal council is attracting
much interested speculation The cir
cumstances preceding the assembling of
this committee, most unusual step. have
given rise to the inference that the meet
ing is called to take some action with the
idea of preventing Emperor William from
pursuing an independent course in the
foreign affairs of the empire as we'll as
from publicly indicating personal policy
differing from that of his government
The ministers president of the Bavarian
Wuertemburg and Saxon delegations to
the counciI-the bundesrath represents
the individual states of the empire the
rcichstaS represents the German nation
arrived in Berlin for the committee meet
inc few days ago.
The assembling of the committee has
come To he an almost forgotten feature
Of the constitutional institutions of the
German empire. and it is for this reason
that so much speculation attaches to the
extraordinary proceedings.
Prince Luitpold Incensed.
Ii is understood that the meeting is
called at the instance OF Bavaria. whose
minister president. Baron Won Podewils,
will therefore preside at the sittings. Ac-
cording 10 newspaper statements Luit-
pold, the Prince Regent Of Bavaria. is in
tensely exasperated because of Emperor
William latest venture into foreign poll
tics-in other words, the publication of the
London Telegraph interview-an act which
has resulted III a degree of criticism of
his majesty for the past two days in the
reichstag never before equaled.
No official statement as to the purposes
of the meeting can be had. and great
secrecy is being observed regarding the
entire matter.
A "Blank Cartridge" Battle.
DR. Theodore Barth. leader of the
advanced wing of the radical party in
the reichstag, has written 10 the AS
sociated Press the following definition of
the political situation today in Germany:
The debates in the reichstag directed
against the personal government of the
emperor will have the effect only of a
sham fight with parliamentary blank
cartridges until it is understood that in
Prussia and Germany personal govern
mfnt does not depend upon the tempera-
ment and character of the present en-
perOr. but represents the deep-rooted and
old Prussian governmental system which
Bismarck transferred to the German en-
pire.
Personal government can only be
abolished by q determined advance to-
ward a system of parliamentary govern
ment similar to that existing in England.
France Italy and other countries. No
change in the constitution or any act in
Producing ministerial responsibility is
necessary for the attainment of this end.
The system of parliamentary govern
ment in England was brought about with
out the alteration Of a single paragraph
of the law. The King of England even
today is empowered to act as is Emperor
William in the filling of ministerial posts
but the British parliament, owing to its
control of the budget could make the
carrying out of his duties impossible for
any minister who enjoyed only the con-
fdence of the sovereign and not that OF
the house of commons
Says Reichstag Has Power.
THE German reichstag constiutionaIly
is in similar position 1t needs only
10 resolve and national public opinion
must compel 1t to resolve on such a pro-
ceedng.
''The role OF democratic liberalism is to
take the lead in this constitutional battle
and il is the duty OF the more moderate
liberals 10 collaborate. but SO long as
the members OF that party are bound by
the chains of the bloc" they cannot full
till their duty. Al present they have
joined the conservatives, who comba,
every sincere effort toward constitution
alism. This the conservatives do because
owing to their relations to the crown
they do better business under the person
al system
Crhe concluding speeches of yesterdays
session Of the reichstag will be founC
elsewhere in The Starr