New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-09
Await Either Flat Peace
Offer or Another
Empty Gesture
Radicals Redouble
Attacks on Junkers
Germany at Crossroads;
Reichstag Meets
To-day
IN Julv s.-To-morrow's news

rordon. July s.-To-morrow's news
..r Berlin may prove startling. 1t
N certainly be important. for all
-, news that has got out Of Berlin
;,.o neutral sources indicates that
Germany is at crossroads.
Along one path lies fat offer from
CHANCELLOR Won Bethmann-Hollweg Of
,,,e. on the basis of no annexations
and no indemnities. together with IN
,s,,al electoral reforms. Along the
o.her where the Junkers are gathered.
lie. the possibility Of an empty peace
,.sture. used. as was Germany's pre-
vous offer. to further the purposes Of
var. The capital is without doubt
!, ferment over internal reform,
pssce terms and the conduct of the
.ubnsrine war. The Chancellor,
equally without doubt, will take his
enc from whichever of the contending
factions predominates in the Reichstag
crisis, subject, of course, to the Kai-
sers veto or approval.
The air is full of rumors, false as
well as true, some Of which are GER
tainly distorted out OF their signif-
csnce. A report from The Hague to-
night has il that the King of Spain
has been asked by the Central Powers
70 open mediation negotiations with
the Allies. The German Minister at
The Hague has been summoned to
Berlin.
Kaiser in Berlin
The Kaiser is in Berlin, having ar
rived there Saturday night and re-
eeiyed Bethmann- -Hollwegs report on
the situation. It is now announced Of
feislly that Field Marshal Won Hin
d.nburg and Quartermaster General
Won Iudendorff, who were recently at
Austrian headquarters, have reached
Berlin for a council of war with the
Emperor That council of war may
contain the germ of peace.
A dispatch from Copenhagen says a
study and comparison Of the various
reports from Berlin and the more or
less mysterious references to the con-
tdsntial debate in the Reichstag COM
nittee give the impression that the
gravity Of the situation is overplayed
BY certain radical papers and that the
outstanding facts ascertainable through
the doubly censored information
emerging from Germany are these:
Matthias Erzberger, a prominent rep
fssentstive of the Clerical Centre, made
sensational speech in the secret ses-
son OF the committee, attacking the
Admiralty and Pan-Germans as the
great obstacles 10 peace and advocating
peace without annextions or indemni-
ties and the introduction Of parlia-
nsntsrism. Herr Erzberger, however.
eo not speak in behalf of mis- party,
shieh would have meant that the I'm
penal Chancellor, DR.. Won Bethmann-
hohseg. faced a hostile majority in
We Parliament, and DR.. Peter SPAIN,
president Of the Clerical party and its
noof leader, fastened TO declare that
NE party as yet had taken no decision
On tne subjects raised in Herr Erzberg-
er's speech.
Hollweg Ventures Refusal
CHANCELLOR Won Bethmann- Hollweg
ne Following day could therefore vent
e nat refusal TO commit himself
we programme OF peace without an
sAaHons OF indemnities, and to am
Sguous declarations on the internal
siorm policy. The air was still full
electreity when the committee ad-
p-fned last night, but the tension was
.S' lower than az the opening Of the
ss.ion, and the Clerical "Germania,"
-e organ Of the Moderate Middle Sec
Won Of the Catholic party, was able
say that Dr. Won Bethmann-Holl-
sss explanations and appeals were
U0"hed by certain measure Of sue
ss1 and that the edge had been taken
'fem The crisis.
Tomorrow alone will show whether
me radical and Socialist forces. assist
e. oy Herr Erzberger, are able TO rein
material success, or whether the
snNs Ike the Zabern storm, which il
;,moIes IN many respects, will lose
tglts. 'U O'' o1' "''iou'
,..e IRE 'Tsgeblstt' and papers Of that
up. winch have msgnifed the crisis
10 practically revolution, seem TO
S, assumed that Herr Erzberger
l,,.a carry his entire party, the
,5ss ~. ri, ~ me Reichstag, with him. But
S;v,ss'ss'ieai deputies, who earlier were
reo INTO an aggressive Pan-Ger-
ss,k;n ;.nne neH'etionist, anti-Hollweg group,
rnS.,s WIN the Conservatives, and a
,res.s es,sN wing deyoting its efforts TO
Ia Out the quarrels and keep
~ sofking ReiehstAg majority be-
o'vl.11s government, now seem 10 be
Yr,1, mo three sections, the third
"''p following Erzberger.
Erresrxer's Speech Suppressed
W.. mos. interesting feature Of the
uy erl'is what Erzberger had 20
r.,,.o .s'oi the Admiralty and the sub
!, campaign cannot, unfortunate.
BEL. eseussed with any clarity The
t.,,.1 papers have evidently been pre.
,ysi.. ron saying a word about IN.
usf.t matter of the speech and Inc
NJ, Of Viee-Admiral Won CaneJie
f.n,sNf Of the Navy. and DIR. U.if'
bgbi,s. sseretsry Of the Interior ri.
sT, of the Imperial ChanceI.
h '''seh was also strictly prohib.
VIZ, ,Nhaneellor was present to.day
eels,L "s committees convened AZ 4
n.l,'A All The Keichstag factions re-,
tstd i... 70 session in individual groun.
VI 49, last night 70 decide what IIn.
A'n should be taken. ' '"'