Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-15
(Special Cablegram to The Sunday Staz
and New York Times.)


BERLIN, July II, via London.-Yes-
terday.s. message of the emperor in re-
gard to Prussian franchise reform was
looked to him for such action as a
stroke to end the intense party strife.
1t has served to clear the atmosphere
and pave the way to further reforms
exception of the organs Of the extreme
right recognize this fact, though some
of them insist that this moment the
parliamentarization of the government
is the greater issue.
may be noted even today. The Wash
ington Star and New York Times cor
respondent talked this morning with
to few days ago were determined
opponents of franchise reform in Prus-
sia. or at least did not believe in any
radical change in the election laws
now there was no alternative and that
the conservatives, who had diet ma
1ority, would in all probability swallow
the bitter pill and vote for election
reform when the government Will
reach them.
Reasons for Changed Attitude.
There are several reasons for this
change of attitude of the Prussian
1unker class. First, they Will not, IN
the present circumstances. place them.
selves in opposition to the whole OF
Germany; second. by taxing an acelve
interest in the movement they nope
to preserve at least a meager remnant
of their former privileges; third. they
know that If they should continue IN
opposition the emperor. ask ng,or o,
into effect in the face of the diets
opposition.
Neither king nor people nor junker
class. however. can have any desire that
which, in this case. would mean that
the king would simply decree the abo-
lition Of the present election laws in
Prussia, which his predecessor imposed
on the kingdom in the place of much
more liberal laws. With the old laws
restored it would be easy to elect diet
chise bill, for which the emperor has
declared. While thus the introduction
of Pyussian franchise reforms is rather
Of the imperial government presents in
comparably graver obstacles. In the
empire the rights and privileges of the
individual states are guaranteed by the
Legislative Situation.
Legislative power is vested in the
reichstag and the bundesrat. the latter
being composed of representatives ap-
pointed by the governments of the va
not always see eye to eye with elected
representatives of the same states in
the reichstag.
The bundesrat's position with refer
ence to the reichstag cannot be COM
pared with that of the Senate to the
House of Representatives in Washing
ton. Because no law can ever pass the
reichstag without being approved by
the bundesrat. In fact, most of the
legislation Is prepared for the reich
stag in the bundesrat.
While in Prussia the king may, under
certain circumstances. decree certain
laws. he has no such rights as head Of
the empire. As such he can merely ap-
prove laws by afixing his signature
after they have been prepared by the
bundesrat and passed by the reichstag.
There has never been q case in
which the kaiser has refused to sign
any measure passed by these two
bodies. and the constitution is not quite
clear as 10 what would happen in such
q case
Must Find Ways to End.
No decree of the kaiser similar to
that of yesterday in regard to Prussia
can be expected to Introduces parlia-
mentary system in Germany. It is left
to the reichstag and bundesrat and the
imperial government to find constitu-
tional ways and means to that end.
For this reason too much cannot be
hoped from the proceedings of the
reichStag In the next few days. The