The Washington herald., 1917-07-14
Germany in Flax.

Germany's crisis has developed be-
yond the fondest hopes of her enemies.
It Is now apparent that Won Beth
mann-Hollweg is merely foundering
about In the fight to save his ministry.
His prospects are the gloomiest. He
may save his face. and elude the COM
pulsion of quitting Office. He cannot
do much more than that.
The Kaiser filings a sop to his
people" in the form of a bill provid-
ing equal franchise" 1t is hollow
and characterIess. and 1t should not
divert the marked trend Of German
rebellion against Junkerism. Three
class franchise is the Prussian tradi-
ton. 1t cannot be abolished by a
dispensation from the ruling caste.
No one knows better than the Ger
man Liberals know that to leave the
autocracy in power-to accept con-
cessions from them-would defeat the
main object Of their fight. Their con-
troll of the Rek:hstag now seems to
be decisive. A glorious opportunity is
before them, If they have the courage
to hold their ground.
Today the government must ask a
new war credit from the Reichstsg.
About 1t the storm will break, and
the meagerness of all information
filte ring ouf of Gary,apu y,,akas a. fool
ish to forecast the direction 1t will
take. The Kaiser's eleventh-hour
franchise concessions show the fear
he has for the result. The conciliating
of Erzberger, the leader Of the Clerical
center. possibly through Austrian in
fiuence, is another step in preparation
for the fight. Austria, It must be re-
membered. is closer to Rome than any
Of the powers. No doubt the Kaiser
hopes to divide and smash the now
dominant opposition. The chancellor
apparently has been saved by some
intrigue springing from Vienna. New
forces have come to back him.
So HO AAAS ACGh \
must reconsider his declination to dis
cuss peace terms and peace prospects
at the present time. The national
Liberals want a definite remuneration
OF war of conquest and aggrandise-
ment. Austria-Hungary, the young
Emperor Charles, are throwing their
influence in the same direction. They
cannot be put off or ignored. The
German people sincerely believe the
shibboleth that they are fighting a
defensive war against a league of un-
scrupulous enemies. But their eyes
are opening. The meaning of events
in Russia and America is too plain TO
be hidden from them. They cannot
be longer narcotized. though their lust
for victory may be strong as ever.
The strain and stress of the war is
stronger even than that.
To read the German riddle is impos-
sible. 1t will soon be self-disclosing.
Whatever an internal crisis of this
grave type would mean in other ma
tions of the world, there is no telling
what it means in Germany. The mil
itary holds the reins. They can snap
their fingers in the face of the people
If they wish to press the issue. But
the money bills in the Reichstag
furnish the point of attack which is
most vulnerable. The undernourish-
ment Of great masses of the popula-
tion is rapidly leading to the point
which means degeneration. 1t is un-
thinkable that the German leaders will
desert their military leaders, but it is,
nevertheless, true that that they prob
ably will demand a curtailment of
their power and a statement Of ex-
actly what the continuance of the
war is expected to accomplish.
Out of the throes of this conflict
the Kaiser may be strengthened. He
may execute some coup which will re-
vive the tagging enthusiasm of Prus-
slams and renew their hopes of victory.
But all the sign-posts indicate that
Demos is about to rise from his long
sleep in Germany and cast some pre-
cious wreckage about him before he
gets firmly planted on his feet.