The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-08
THE CHANCELLOR'S SPEECH
tThe Literary Digest.)

The dawn of democracy in Germany is fore
Swallowed in Chancellor Bethmann -Hollwcg's dra-
matte speech in the Prussan diet though the chan
ccllors conversion anticipated by the similn r
interview with Foreign Minister Zimmerman
| which quoted In issue Of December %.
According to the Rhcnisch Wastfalischc Zcitung 1t
evoked by n demonstration of the Socialist
| members OF the diet against the composition Of the
Hcrrenhaus, or Prussian house Of lords, the men,
bership of which is anything but democratic.
Strangely enough it was a member Of the moderate
National Liberal party. Professor Robert Fried
berg who introduced a resolution which
1.-The house resolves to request the royal state
government to present bill by which membership in
| the Herrenhaus will be changed in such way that.
while retaining the royal privilege of appointment,
but aboshing all privileges of families and dign-
| tarics which exist in relation to membership
! in the Herrenhans, representation by means OF
elections and corresponding to their Importance
shall be granted to all large municipalities and to
all professions of Importance for the economic life
| and the civilization Of our people"
| The feeling of the German workers shown
| when the Socialist Deputy Leinert said:
I'VE must abolish the IIerrenhaus which is Il
! milestone around the neck Of any progressive de-
velopment in Prussia.
1T wants the people to be mmandeered into
and out of it. and that things afterward should
| remain as they were. That is impossible The
people demand peace at the earliest possible J.
mcnt. We longer serfs whom the king can
| buy and sell order to bleed and die at the
word Of command. We are a nation that has
| reached political manhood"
| Entering the house during the course OF the de-
bate. the imperial chancellor made an unprcmcdi-
| tated speech in which he stated that
| after the war we shah be confronted with the
most gigantic tasks that ever confronted nation
They will be so gigantic that the entire people will
| have to work to solve them A strong foreign
| policy will be necessary for shall be surrounded
! by enemies whom we shall not meet with loud
words but with the internal strength Of the nation
We only pursue such policy if the patriotism
which during the war has developed to such mar
vcous reality is maintained and strengthened"
| The chancellor declared that the maintenance OF
patriotism could be secured only by granting tho
people in general equal cooperation in the ad
minisration OF the empire" He procccdcd:
| Woe to the statesman who does not recognize,
the signs Of the times and who after this catas.
trophe. the like of which the world has never seen
believes that he take up his work at the same
point at which it was INTERRUPTED. will devote
my last effort to the carrying out of this idea OF
making our people strong Only one thought fills
| me and all of us at present--how to end the wal
VIGOROUSLY. AS the only be by tn,
cxerton of our greatest possible man power. thu
truth Of which must be admitted, have frecl!
spoken my thoughts on the internal poiiclcS or Oh
people for the future"
The effect of this speech in Germany was cleo
tric and with the exception Of the ultra -conserva
tive and mtaristc Berlin Krcuzzeitung. all tn
German papers have expressed approval. a dis
patch from Berlin to the Copenhagen Nations
Tidende runs:
"The speech of Chancellor Won Bethmann- IIo
veg in the Purssian diet has INSIDE tremendou
impression throughout GernIany.$ SINGH abst
iuteiy explosive answer to thea diets updemocrat
attitude entirely unexpected The speec
taken a whole. has the character Of a great ps
> litical demonstration. What made the create