Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-15
POLITICAL LIBERTY
THE GERMAN ISSUE
What the Outburst Against the
Kaiser Really Means.
END OF THE AUTOCRACY
Patriotism of the People Stronger
Than Personal Loyalty.
BUT CRISIS IS NOT YET
Emperor. 1t Is Believed, Will Sue
ceed by Cancellation in Tiding
Over Present Trouble.
Special Cablegram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
BERLIN, November 14.-The political
emancipation of Germany has become the
issue of the hour. That is the form which
the unanimous national rage of the past
fortnight Is rapidly assuming. 1t was
bound to come. A people of high civiliza-
tion and boundless prosperity was certain
sooner or later to demand political lib
erty under the principles of self-govern-
ment. Germany. despite its reichstag its
local legislatures and its complicated con-
stitution. is politically an autocracy. 1t is
the cleanest and best organized autocracy
the world has ever seen. and its subjects
heretofore have been docile and contented.
So they would have remained. perhaps
Indefinitely, so long as national prestige
and national honor remained unsullied
and policy of wisdom and dignity had
been pursued by their rulers. The mo-
ment their ideals were violated. however.
1t was inevitable that there would come
an overwhelming demonstration of the
fact that patriotism is a stronger motive
than personal loyalty in the hearts of the
now Witnessing 1t is SO strong and uni
versal that superficial observers might
easily imagine that it would speedily ac-
complish its object and that We would
soon see a democratic form of govern
ment like the English established here.
The world would have reason to welcome
such change in the same spirit that it
received the news of Turkeys bloodless
revolution.
Europe would indeed have great cause
for rejoicing, for it would be a higher
augury for peace than any single event
that could be suggested. The German
people are not provocative or mischief
making and If they controlled their own
affairs there would be an end to sudden
war alarms and constant unrest in the
diplomatic world. There would be a limit
also to the terrific and pauperizing COM
petition in armaments which threatens to
cripple more than one great nation within
the next few years.
Reform Must Come Slowly.
Unhappily, however, after carefully
weighing the opposing forces and condi
tions. one cannot expect any revolution
AIRY change in the direction of liberty as
a result of the present agitation in the
racy and bureaucracy are too strong to
be overthrown all at once. The spirit of
obedience to authority. which is the re-
suit OF universal militarism is too deep
ly ingrained to be destroyed by the pres
ent sentimental incentive. Moreover.
the powers that be are quite clever
enough to know when to be conciliatory.
They have failed thus far to realize the
in his piQue at the national Indignation
has aggravated popular feeling by pre-
tending that it was of trivial impor-
tance. He has ostentatiously spent this
week of crisis in distant frivolities. 1t
has been "a government of tramp" as
even his friends have described his con-
duct He Will learn better when he
meets Chancellor Won Buelow at kiel
Monday
1t is no secret that the kaiser de-
Spises the great mass of his subjects.
1t is also true that man in his en-
pire is more ignorant than he of the
real spirit of the German proletariat.
He is utterly intolerant of criticism.
His encourage know this, and mon
arch is more carefully shielded from all
that tends to disturb his eQuanimity.
lie had one lesson in the falsity Of the
friends and sycophants who surrounded
him in the Gutenberg scandals ii year
ago. He changed part of his encourage
for another set just as bad No man
among them dares tell him unpleasan
truths This fear is universal that
81 fully explains the failure of any one
in the foreign office to tell him the in
evitable effect of his historic interview
month ago.
Won Buelow's Unpleasant Task.
To Prince Won Buelow falls the un-
pleasant but necessary task to tell him
Monday that the hearts of his people
are full OF incipient rebellion against him
Whether the chancellor will officially sur
vive that interview none can tell Prince
Won Buelow himself cares least of ALL
for he was quite sincere when he as
sured the rechstag that he would prefer
10 retire rather than TO 20 He has
bought beautiful palace at Rome and
he wants to leave the hurry -burly and
20 and live there with his charming
Italian wife
Determined to Curb Kaiser.
There il one safeguard against such
maneuvers stronger even than the reich
stag. This is the committee OF the fed
eral council which met Thursday. Stern
opposition TO the emperor's autocratic and
erratic foreign policy in the upper circles
of the nom Prussian constituents of the
empire had reached the point of protest
before the publication OF the interview
and the acute phase of the CasablanCa
incident. The authorities of Bavaria.
Saxony. Wurttemburg and Baden had al
ready determined to curb. If possible. the
kaisers activities, and their powers in
this direction are considerable. IL is their
intention especially to insist that the en-
peror no longer dictate the foreign policy
of the empire. They may succeed I'm al
complshing this without going far as
demanding change in the constitution.
IL is known result of recent de-
yelopments that the German foreign pol
icy has no continuity. no definite aims al
the pre- sent moment. but IL is feared none
the less. On that account domestic CON
ciliation will be the chief object of the
present plans. but a reaction toward the
restoration of autocratic powers will ever
be its ultimate purpose. The German
people are slow To rouse and they are
the empire was formed. But unless some
fresh provocation comes il is not likely
that they will go SO far even a blood
less revolution. The future Will bring IL
10 pass but only foolhardy resistance to
the present public sentiment would pre-
cipitate such u crisis today.