Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-22
MORE DEMOCRACY
AFTER WAR LIKELY
People in Germany Expect to See
Many Changes Follow
ing Conflict.
SUGGESTIONS ARE HEARD
Stresemann Thinks Reichstag
Should Be Active in Matters
of Foreign Policy.

BERLIN October ol.-Thc German
government now is showing far less
severity towards the people, who are
permitted to do and say things which
would have been punished before. Sig
nificant Of the present time is the dis
cussion In almost the entire German
press OF the future of democracy In
Germany after the war.
Evidently all but the most invetcr-
ately rcactionary papers foresec that
the days of oligarchy and of practical
absolutism hidden under !, thin veil Of
constitutional forms have come to an
end. and that after the war demo-
cratic Germany must arise. ruled by n
monarch responsible to the people
through his ministers.
From the fact that German diplo-
macy. hitherto secret and independent
of the control Of the Reichstag, has
suffered one defeat after another during
the war, eliminating In the interven-
ton Of Roumania. on the side Of the
entente powers. the Moderate. Herr
S;reseniann. raises his voice in favor
Of the Reichstag taking far more
direct and effective part in the conduct
OF the war. and Of foreign policy In
particular. He suggests the creation
of either parliamentary committee or
parliamentary council, composed of
the leaders of the various: groups.
which should be kept informed by the
imperial government and colIaborate
with it.
Naturally. this suggestion has been
met with a howl Of rage by the ultra
conservative and reactionary press.
Even paper like the Hamburger
Fremdenblatt ingcniously retorts that
the word control contains the idea OF
mistrust," and it adds: where the name
OF Hindcnburg resounds. there mistrust
has no room"
NAME OF HINDENBURG
FETISH IN GERMANY
licndenburg is the fetish who is to
save Germany from every evil the
shield behind which the government
| from the Kaiser down. takes shelter.
| Probably nobody in this country de-
plores this more than Hindenburg him
self, who Is ready enough 10 do every
I thing in his power to bring home vic
| tory. but who strongly objects to being
mixed up in politics, foreign or domes-
tic. like the bluff warrior he is
| He is perfectly we'll aware he has
! powerful enemies among the officers of
| the general staff, who would rejoice in
his downfall, and he is far too sensible
! To believe for moment that the Kai-
ser loves him any more than he did
when he sent him into exile to liam
over
| Pleading the cause of democracy. the
| Frankfurtcr Zeitung. though not VEN
turing to advocate constitutional
changes during the war. argues the war
| has revealed the giant strength and
stern virtue of the German masses. and
holds that these should he rewarded by
u pronounced evolution towards a real
democratic regime In Germany after
| the war.
This from ono of tho most influential
papers In the country has made the re-
dictionary press foam with rage. One
paper shrieks that the war has shown
est possible army-and that the whole
well-beinG OF the army is strongly an
| tagonistic TO democracy.
There is no doubt that the German
masses will come forward "A fter the war
with urgent demands for more polit!-'
cal freedom and for direct influence
upon the affairs of the German people
but it is even more certain that the
Conservatives. who now hold the whip
hama particularly in Prussia will put
IN a stiff fight in defense of their
privileges and against real constitu-
tional reforms.