The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-23
De oCRACY BOUND
TO WIN GERMANY
French Foreign Affairs Expert Sees
Great Significance In German In
ternal Stirrings--Will Influence
War,
BY Paul Louis.

| War.
! BY Paul Louis.
zPnris. Oct. 1-(by mail --For many
months Germany has been undergo
ing a profound political crisis. which
has steadily grown in amplitude and
| intensity. Some people affect to at
tach only slight importance TO this
state of things. declaring their be-
lief that Germany's internal difficult
/ ties are fiction invented by the
kaiser and his advisers in order to
deceive the entente allies. But this
| Is pushing scepucism and suspicion
too far.
For myself admit that. at the
risk OF being thought to be very
simple mined, attribute great val
ne to these internal stirrings In Ger
many, and believe they will
have an influence upon the course OF
the war and upon the future status
of Europe.
No one will have forgotten the i'm
portant debates of 1908 in which the
antagonists were the adherents of the
old absolutist and feudai regime and
the proponents of reform in the
reichstag. For many years the
elected imperial chamber and a. great
part OF public opinion have demanded
electoral system in Prussia and other
states OF the empire, and also parlia-
mentary government within the con-
federation. Last July's happenings
in Berlin both before and after the
I fail OF Bethmann-H ollweg, are only
part of long string Of events. But
the rising of sections of the nation
against masked abrolutism and against
the oligarchy has been growing with
every generation. Had not the war
broken out perhaps It would have at
tanned such force that reforms
would have heon inewita BILE; but the
war has had the result of shaking
established Nominations, weakening
+ personal power and rendering the
masses conscious OF their inaiienable
rights.
1 Germany can no more escape her
destiny In this respect than any other
nation. And that In why do not
agree with those WHO say with SUI
perb assurance: There. will be no
revolution in Berlin" l am the less
tempted to take that view because
their are various forms OF revolu-
ton. not all of a bloody order.
As to imperial alta frs. the demands
; of tho democratic elements In the
reichstag are as follows: (11 The
chancellor and secretaries OF state
TO be chosen from among the mem
bers OF tho reichstag: 90 The reichs-
tag to have the power to advise and
guide the emperor In the choice and
dismissal OF ministers.
; The particular states OF the oon-
federation have less OF the semblance
OF democratic institutions than the
all and the millionS OF people moth
2Nx~5at liam Nrrnfe
: In the reichstag. most OF them elect
ed by the Pruxsian Manufacturing
districts. but there are only ten So
cial Democrats In the Prussian land
tag, although this assembly has more
mem hers than the reichstag
Naturally the war has supplied new
! arguments to those who demand re.
forma. The people, who have suf
. fered unprecedented sacrifices and are
the victims OF mistakes and faults Of
, personal power and noble. middle
class. military and financial ologarch-
les, are determined to conquer un-
divided control OF their own affairs
The receptions and defeats OF Ger
mAnys leaders have weakened their
: prestige and their power TO resist
internal attacks The sha king of re.
: gimas heretofore regarded as solid
II h4s .giv.n : .ya petas 20 so~cai,ea Cub
, verstve ideas. In vain have Buelow
and after him Bethmann Hoiiweg
laughed at the threats OF the masses
the more the dynasty and the junker'
display their poweriessntss to brtnf
peace TO the evenly millions OF msr
they have thrown into the connie
the stronger will grow the demand
!, of those millions for a change.
The Russian revolution. Wilson'S
messages and the American fnterven
ton cannot leave the Germans indif
ferent: in their ensemble, thes,
events constitute the most striking
Indictment OF all against the auto
j, cratic structure OF Germany. Man,
are the Germans who today realize
that the hostility of world opinion
against them has its roots In thei
: political system, and that profound
and rapid transformation of that sys
tenn would hasten the much desired
armistice. We have never given SUI
fc!ent attention to this aspect of Ger
many's situation The very men wht
I failed TO foresee the destruction o
Ta rtsm and American Intervention ar
those who ehut their eyes to the In
ternaI fermentation going on in Ger
many:
The intervention OF Hindenburg ant
Ludendorfr against the Social Demo
Il fIdtS OH July IL ldSt tcediaco Az
check to the steady drive toward in
ternal reform, and the ministerial
chm nges at the beginning OF Angus
were made against the wishes of tn
Socialist and Progressive groups o
I the reichstag. and. because the latte
9 failed to, organize moral insured
ton. some people believe that Ger
many Is forever tied to her bsolut
/: list and feudal regime. l repeat tina
: such is not my opinion.
i The reasons which brought on tn
. great democratic drive last July sub
: sist and are always growing In force
Scheidemann and his friends canno
!, go on much longer playing with tn
! wishes OF the masses. Germany
J. Decentralization might be delayed 70
: some time IL II were not linked u
4 with the question OF peace. but tn
). day the people on the other side o
J, the Rhine clearly realize that the en-,
= of the war is In large measure sub
: ordinated to a profound change il
!. their institutions and to the destruc
!. ton of personal power and OF aristo
:. cratic or plutocratic prerogatiyes. tn
: pressure they will bring TO bear vii
g be Irresistible.
Let us beware that we are no
a surprised by big developments in tn
: situation. We need not count upo
- A..s ~