New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-01
Reichstag Gives
Warning 1t Will
Compel Reforms
Majority Resolutions Again
Call Halt on Gen.
sorship
Kaiser Is Criticised
Erzberger Declares Emperor's
Impulsive Speeches Run
Counter to Policies

stag majority warned inc
eminent Wednesday that it would take
measures to force compliance with de-
mands for reforms. The warning WAS
issued during the meeting Oh inc
Reichstag Main Committee.
Resolutions Of the majority, intro
duced by DR.. Karl Heine, Socialist de-
manded for the fourth or fifth time
abolition Of the political censorship
and limitation of the military censor
ship to facts connected with the con-
duct of the war and criticism thereon.
DR.. Heine gave the government -FOUR
weeks, until the assembling OF the
Reichstag, to mend its ways. Other
wise. he said, the majority would be
forced to take proper measures.
The government has received some
half dozen earlier warnings OF a SIM
liar nature. and its response IN tne
present instance will not be an UNFAIR
test of the influence Of the present
majority in the Reichstag.
Emperor Criticised
Speeches and pronouncements OF
Emperor William were criticised In the
debate on the censorship. Matthias
Erzberger, Centrist leader, and Dr.
Heine called attention to the erect
caused by the Emperors impulsive
statements, which sometimes run
counter to the ostensible policy Of the
government. Although not mentioned
in the censored accounts OF the com
mittee's proceedings, the Emperor
critics probably had particularly In
mind his recent utterances IN regard
to England as Germany's arch-enemy
which must be defeated at any cost,
DR.. Heine appears to have demandea
freedom for the press to discuss sucn
utterances of the Emperor.
Erzberger asked whether Chancellor
Michaelis assumed responsibility Tor
what was said by the Emperor For,
eign Secretary Won Kuehlmann replied
that the representative at treat heau-
quarters of the Foreign Office was IN,
formed concerning these speeches, and
that the Chancellor assumed RESPONSE
bihty. g., a..
As expected, the misleading de
malls" by the Foreign Office of Premier
Kerensky's statement that separate
peace offer recently had been made TO
Russia and of the message said by
former Ambassador Gerard to have
been sent by Emperor William TO Pres
ident Wilson at the outbreak OF the
war were brought up for criticism.
Herr Erzberyer said the official com
munications were coming into wide dis
credit abroad. owing to the many self
evident contradictions in them.
The short parliamentary interlude in
Germany, caused by the meeting OF the
so-called Little Reichstag," ended
without other tangible results than the
creation Of the double-seven Advisory
Board of Bundesrat and Reichstag rep
resentatives to act as a connecting INK
between the government and the
Reichstae in confidential discussion OF
foreign problems.
This board, admittedly an expert
ment, designed as substitute Tor par
liamentarianism also adjourned with
out taking action on Germany's reply
to the Pope's peace proposal
Liberals After Michaelis
Parliamentary life now will take a
short sleep until the reassembllng OF
the Reichstag, at the end of Septem-
Der. ,
The session OF the Reichstag Main
Committee has shown that Chancellor
Michaelis. like his predecessor, Won
Bethmann-H ollweg, is confronted by
recalcitrant opposition in the Kelcns-
tag. and a movement for his retlre-
ment. though this time the roles arc
reversed. The Liberal and Centre par
ties arenow the ones TO suggest mat
the Chancellor must 60 unless he comes
over whole -heartedly to their pro,
pramme, while the Conservatives and
pan-German elements urge him to stand
ont against the threats and blandish-
ments of the other side.
The little furry in the committee
when the Chancellor first announced
that he never had declared his accept
arcc of the Reichstag peace resolu-
tion as the basis for his peace policy,
and later when in IL. face of the storm
he returned to the >tandpoint OF the
"resolution as I interpret it, and his
friendly relations with the Conserva-
tive marty seem to have convinced most
of the so-cslled majority party that
b;s INTERPRETATION of the resolution is
ouite different from the surface mean
inc of peace without annexations or
indemnities.
Liberals for Annexation
The Berlin "Vorwaerts," "Tageblatt,'
"Vossische Zeitung" and other organs
now admit that all signs indicate that
the Chancellor belongs TO the other
camp. Socialists and Radicals have de-
clared for war against him II he per
sists in his course. On the otner
hand. DR.. Gustave Stresemann. the new
leader of the National Liberals, IN ms
programme speech before the Reich
stag committee declared unreservedly
for the collection Of a war indemnity
and for the safeguarding of the from
tiers. according to the Chancellor's
phrase. by annexations east and west.
The merchants of the Hanseatic
towns. in enthusiastic meetings at
bremen and Hamburg, have expressed
disspproval of the Reichstag majority
in endeayoring to pin the Chancellor
TO the Reichstag peace resolution.
They have cheered Chancellor Michaelis
by encouraging kilograms.
DaAiral ranraGn0fa-