The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-14

Sull tIOIl |lHS GflSlS III liie ilSdt ANtttA Nf is first, abolition of the Prussian three class voting system and the establish ment Of equal manhood suffrage; second a demand by the Rechstag that the gov ernment should declare it's adherence to the so-called war programme of August 4, 1914, which stated that Germany was not driven to war by the desire of con quest but that the German people took up arms only in defense of freedom, in dependence and to guard their territorial posse essions.
 ANOTHER CHANGE NECESSARY
 Should elections to the Prussian Diet be based on equal manhood suffrage, con- trol of the Diet would pass from the iunker parties But splendid as this reform would be Germany will not be on the road to political free dom until the chancellor has been made responsible to the Reichstag and until the chancellor has been given control over the military authorities
 "At present not only has the Reichstag no control whatever over the chancellor, who is responsible to the Emperor alone, but the chancellor is utterly without au- thority over the military leaders. Unless the present crisis develops far beyond it's present scope it will not be- gin to make Germany a democratic na- tion.
 Passage by the Reichstae of a reso- lution demanding that the government declare it's adherence to the war pro- gramme of August 4, 1914 would rot be so important a step toward peace as 1t would appear to be on its face.
 It is doubtful. the statement says, whether a majority in the Reichstag approval would bind the government frontiers" and "reparation" it is de- elared adhesion to the plan, would be in, of XEithOnt annexations or indemnities. Under the aliases of 'readiustment of strategic fronties" and "reparation" it is de- clared annexations and indemnitics still could be exacted.
 PEACE SENTIMENT GROWS
 Nevertheless. the disposition to come out frankly is increasing among all the political parties of Germany, except the conservatives and the na tional liberals" the review continues. Both wings of the socialist party with their 110 votes in the Reichstag, have gone on record in favor of such q peace The progressive peoples pal ty, which has 42 representatives in the Reichstag. is opposed to annexations on the western front and is begin ming to abandon it's desire for the annexation of the Courland. Finally, the Roman Catholic centrum party, with it's 90 Reichstag members, though still split on the question, is. turning rapidly to the standpoint of peace without anneXations and in- demnities.
 There is reason to believe that the influence of Austria Hungary is pe hind the sudden swing of the centrum to cooperation with the socialists and the radicals. Count Tisza no longer stands in the way of peace on the basis of the status quo ante bellum, with his desire to retain Mt. Lovchen and the northeastern corner of Servia. The new leaders of Hungary are for peace without annexations or in- demnities.
 Though the spectacular attacks of Erzberger and the centrum on the government are the immediate occa- sion of the present crisis, it's funda- mental causes lie much deeper, in the increasing bangs of undernour- ishment and in the disillusionment with respect to the ability of the sub marine to force England to immediate peace. Although Germany's food sup ply will hold out until the present crop is harvested the suffe rings of the 25 900 900 Germans of the lower classes have been intensified great ly during the past five months. An in- creasing number of the poorer classes each week eat at the municipal kftch ems In these kitchens in Berlin two meals a day are given. consisting of turnip soup and a saucer of fruit pre- serves. On Sundays one meal is given of fish.
 "Batonicki's recent announcement that the vegetable and fruit crops were poor ** has shown the low CT classes that they can hope for proper nourishment only with the coming of peace and with them q constant demand for peace arises. This general suffering and disillusionment demands scapegoats Il appears certain that Zimm will be sacrificed and the chancellor may follow him into retirement"