The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-07-09
GERMANKA|SER
MAYDEPOSEH|S
CHANCELLOR
Won Bethmann HoIIWeg May
Lose Official Head
UNREST IN EMPIRE
Social Democratic Party Opposed to
Policy Of Annexation in France
and Russia.

Berlin, Saturday. July Z, via Lon.
don, July S.--Unless indications fail
in the next few days the German EN-
pire is on the eve of a momentous par
liamentary upheaval Developments
point squarely to a significant realign-
ment Of various factions in the reich.
stag in favor OF sweeping electoral
and parliamentary reforms, in spite
of the stubborn resistance of the re.
dictionary old guard
Dismissal of Chancellor Won Beth.
mann-Hollweg by the Kaiser is de-
clared probable, according to tele.
gram from Berlin to the Koelnische
zeitung at Zurich Vice Chancellor
Karl Helifferich. the first German
food dictator, is mentioned as the
probable successor to the chancellor,
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg and
General Won Ludendorff. his chief OF
staff, have reached Berlin to confer
with the Kaiser.
Although the session of the main
committee an dthe constitutional com
mittee have been executive, press
comments permit the inference that
discussions of vital subjects frequent
ly reached the boiling point. That they
have been gravely OF significant i'm
pert is indicated clearly by the sud
den decision to postpone the Satur-
day plenary session which was to
have marked the opening of the gen
eral debate and the expected speech
OF Chancellor Won Bethmann-IIollweg
The absence of the chancellor from
the sessions OF the main and constitu-
tional committees in the last few
days has caused general comment as
exceptional in view of the confidential
character of the discussions
Monday will mark the Inauguration
of what promises to be one of the
most memorable preliminary sessions
in the history OF the empire
The chancellor was present today
when the committees convened at 9
o'clock All the reichstag factions re
mained in session in individual groups
until late last night
The Zeitung Am Mttag says a depu-
tation from the Social Democratic par
ty in the reichstag called on the chan.
cellor Friday to impress on him the
gravity of the situation. The dele
gates insisted that he make an un-
eQuivocal declaration that the gov
ernment was prepared at any time to
enter into peace negotiations on the
basis of the status quot. The depu.
tation also demanded immediate intro
duotion Of parliamentary and elector-
al reforms, urging the appointment Of
leading reischstag deputies to secre.
tarial and ministerial posts,
Representatives of the Progressive
Peoples party and of the National
Liberals also were in conference with
the chancellor,
Dr. Matthias Erzberger, leader of
the Central, Catholic party. provoked
crisis today in a speech before the
| reichstag's main committee Or Erg.
| berger expressed serious misgiyings
as to the general military and naval
| situation.
| He demanded clear statement
from the government regarding the
Russian offensive and the situation on
the western front. He also demand
ed assurances that the U-boat war is
really as efficient as 1t is claimed tc
be.
Herr Erzberger's discussion of the
internal situation is said to have
been remarkable for its lucidity ant
candor. 1t was augmented effectively
| by the utterances of social democrat,
who related the impressions they hat
gathered at the recent Stockholm col
ference and in neutral countries.
| Their deduction was that affairs II
Germany must be subjected forthwith
to thorough overhauling for tn,
good Of the German people and tn,
German empire. The majority fac
ton OF the social democrats also 4
convinced that the government mus
make positive declaration that
is opposed to all policies OF annexation
either In the east or west.