New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-17

Reichstag 10 hll yacancica has been
won bv the Socialists. The district OF
potsdam. the Industrial district Of
Cologne. the workIngmen'> districts o.
Essen and other ammunition centres
have Socialist representatives. m the
Ralchstag. The Kaiser and the Chan
color know that the Socialist strength
H. growing. but they believe that a
long a. thcy can keep the support OF
PhHip Schciicmaru. who o. capable
and energetic and who has cuormous
public influence, that they can run the
government % suit themselves.
The Reason for the Peace Move
A. times Schcidemanu has been on
the verge Of boiling. Last October ne
informed the Chancellor that unless
Germany tried 10 make peace the
people would revolt. and that he would
lead them So the Chancellor prom
ised that Germany would rropo e
peace. On December l. he kept his
word. But the people failed 20 see
through their government, because the
Allies reply made the German people
believe that their government was
lighting a defensive war. SO Schelde-
mann and his followers supported the
Chancellor.
There was absolutely 10 enthusiasm
among the German people when the
government took advantage OF them and
started a new Won TIrp.tz blockade o.
Allied coasts. Although the people
hated America and suspect everything
We have done since the war began, they
did not like the idea Of having another
enemy" Although signs in most Ber-
lin shop windows advertise the saying.
MANY enemies, much honor that IS
not the way the people feel But they
are pOwerless. They believe in Won
Hindcnburg and they accept what he
does and says. They know that 10 was
not the Kaiser. but Won Hlndcnburg.
who made war with America possible,
and they would not think OF critclsing
their military god.
IN addition 10 the Socialist party
there IS a democratic press IN Ger
many which longs for the time WHOM
the censors will not be able 10 edit
their papers. Censorship in Germany
now practically amounts 10 central
editorial board. which has power to con
troll the news and editorials printed in
every newspaper Theodore Wolff, edi-
tor of the Berlin "Tageblatt," is a
democrat. His paper and staff of writ
ers are prOgresslves, but they can do
nothing against a government censor
ship. The "Norwaerts,' the leading
Socialist paper; the "Frankforter Zel-
tung." the most influential newspaper
within the Central Powers. edited by
young, aggressive thinkers, are more
democratic than their readers can
judge BY the lead articles. | knew per
sonally the editors and writer's on all
these papers. and 10 was my impression
that they were just as democratic and
progressive in their thinking as our
American editors are-but they cannot
write what they think No German can
tell any one else what he thinks, un-
less he does il behind closed doors.
Radicals Plan Censored
I attended secret meeting Of a
small group of radicals late IN Deem
Der. Three members of the Reichstag
were there. all Socialist; ore Berlin
editor and several business men. This
meeting was called for the purpose Of
starting a campaign I'm Germany TO eX-
plain TO the people the ideas and pur-
poses of the American League 10 En-
force Peace. The editor present prom
ised 10 write series OF editorials. The
first one printed was passed by the lib
cral censOrs in the Foreign Office. IL
was copied extensively throughout Ger
many, but the military authorities DIS
covered Il. decided that Il was not the
kind of ideas which the people should
read ard informed the editor that he
could write no more about this Amer
can league And then the military
press bureau sent out statements TO