Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-02

tween Germany and England has sensi-
bly, slackened. evidence
Slackeninp of which may be seen
by the reading without
AcHSlOn. debate in the reichstag
OF the bill empowering the federal coun-
Gil to renew for two years the pro-
visional Anglo German commercial agree
ment.
Germany is today confronted not only
with serious financial problems, but with
the far more serious conflict of author
ity between Germany and the German
states. This situation is SO little under
stood beyond Germany's frontiers that
we may be excused for making the fol-
lowing quotation from the Saturday Re-
view:
Affairs are developing in Germany.
though slowly. Sooner or later the finan-
cial problem must again be faced. and it
cannot be without raising the question
whether ultimate sovereignty resides
with the empire or with the states. That
question takes the form Of an alteration
in the Prussian franchise. and 1t is the
Prussian chamber where the future
course of German history must be deter
mined. How a reform for which there
is great and growing demand can be
carried in the face of hostile and sus-
picious majority is question only to be
answered by man of genius. and In
specializing as to Germany's future it
must be borne in mind that the one man
of genius who now figures in German
public life is the emperor
In the speech from the throne with
which the Prussian diet was opened
clared his firm determination to reform
the Prussian franchise. What the new
chancellor will do in the premises is by
no means clear. for the problem as
shown in the foregoing is difficult. and
will require the initiative of the emperor
king. In the face Of the initiative of the
masses in Germany, as in England. who
are encouraged to join battle with in
tereSts. are We to see the emperor take
the initiative as the leader Of the peo-
pie and proceed actively against the
Prussfan stronghold-an electorate graded
according to wealth?
**s
In order to comprehend clearly the i'm
port of the conflict which threatens to
become acute In Ger
Horr,or many, We should recall
that there are twenty
States. five German states and
the reichsland of Alsace-Lorraine. COM
posed in the order of their magnitude as
follows:
Four kingdoms: Prussia, Bavaria. Sax
ony and Wurttemberg; six grand duchies,
Raden. Hesse, Mecklenburg-Schw
SAKE Weimar. Mecklenburg Strelitz.
Oldenburg: five duchies. Brunswick.
Saxe-Meiningen. Saxe-Altenburg, Sake
Coburg Gotha, Anhalt; seven prin-
cipalities. Schwarzburg Sondershausen,
Schwa rzburg- Rudo!stadt, Waldeck, Reuss
Aelterer LIME. Reuss Jungerer LIME,
Schaumburg-Lippe. Lppe: three free
cities, Lubbock. Bremen, Hamburg; the
reichsland of Alsace-Lorraine.
William I, King of Prussia, was elect
ed by the reichstag German emperor In
1871. supported by the reigning princes
of German states.
Nv the constitution of the empire April
Is. 1871, all the states of Germany form
an eternal union for the protection OF the
realm and the care of the welfare or the
German people" Article IL OF the con-
stitution declares that the supreme di-
rection of the military and polltical al
fairs of the empire is vested in the King
of Prussia, who in this capacity pears
the title of Deutscher kaiser. The en-
peror is the empire and can declare war
If defensive and make peace and treatles
with other nations and appoint and re-
ceive ambassadors. But when war is not
merely defensive the kaiser must have
the consent of the bundesrath or lederai
council, in which body. together with the
reichstag or diet of the realm, are vested
the legislative functions of the empire.
The emperor has no veto on laws passed
nv these bodies. The reichStag represents
the German nation, the bundesrath rep
resents the individual states OF Germany.
81
A dispatch from Berlin on the 9th
ultimo announced that already the con-
fict between Germany
Yr+arno1 and the states had be-
gun. The grand duchy
COn1lcC. of Observation-Disclosures
had demanded a constitution, as Mecklen-
burg-Strelitz and other German states.
The political institutions OF the grand
duchy of Mecklenburg-Sc hwerin and of
Mecklenburg- Strelitz are of an entirely
feudal character, but in March, 1907,
tho grand dukes of the two grand OUCH
les announced their intention Of introduce
ing constitutional government. There Is
but one diet for both grand duchies and
it assemblies every year for few weeks.
When it is not in actual session 1t is
represented by a committee of nine men,
bers-"Engerer Ausschuss." The propo-
sitions for the foregoing reform have
been repeatedly rejected by the Neck
lenburg lords. The Mecklenburg govern
menL Is now tdhlHS tIlc SlSp VI
appealing to the other states to inter-
yene In rescript to the mobiles it de-
clared that it will establish representa-
tive government and the empire will be
asked to intervene. This the empire
cannot do without an amendment to the
federal constitution enabling the reichstag
to interfere in constitutional conflicts in
any federal state. The reichstae did ap-
prove of such a change in the constitu-
ton formerly but the bundesrath reject
ed the reform. Should the necessary ma
jorfty in the bundesrath be obtained the
Mecklenburg house of lords will be abol-
and bundesrath. Just what is coming OF
this muddle the emperor may possibly
tell u.s. but certainly DIR. Won Bethmann-
HollWeg cannot.
The reichstag session was opened No
vember 80 by the emperor In the white
hall of the royal palace. at Berlin. The
ceremony was proof that the German
empire is a military monarchy. The en-
peror read his speech from the throne,
covering his head with his casque while
pronouncing his words. Most Of the
socialists were in civilian dress. as If in
protestation. The chancellor himself. 1t
was remarked, wore the uniform OF the
dragon guards, in which he has recently
been promoted to the rank OF major.
The speech from the throne was docu-
ment very cautiously prepared 1t COM
menced by an expose of
C~noror,e the financial situation and
the necessity of CONSOLE
speech. dating by means of new