Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-13

| other declaration Of Germania assert
Ing that Chancellor Won Bethmann
Hollweg will accept a resolution on
war aims of the majority parties in
the reichstag. This resolution. based
on the formula Of Herr ErxberKer, the
centrist leader. will be presented to
the reichstag tomorrow and will re-
state that the chancellor's announce
ment at the outbreak Of the war that
Germany was undertaking a defensive
war, and declare that the majority of
the refchstag now favors peace based
on mutual understanding and lasting
reconcilition Of nations.
Determined to Fight On.
AS long as the enemy governments
refuse this the German people and
reichstag, the resolution will say, are
united in discrimination to fight on
until until the rights Of Germany and its
tional liberty party has withdrawn
from the majority block, leaders Of the
latter expect 800 votes for the reso-
luton. including those Of the Poles
Alsatians and Danes.
Results Comparatively Small.
The results Of the German political
extraordinary crown councils, consul
tations with the heir to the throne, the
formation Of ,.fnsurgent majorities in
the reichstag and a storm of press ex-
element. are. in the first indications at
least. comparatively small.
The introduction of the phrase equal
suffrage" into the German emperor's
Easter manifesto merely restores q
provision which. according to Berlin
gossip. was contained in the original
draft Of the manifesto and was eiirni-
mated at the last moment in conse-
Quence Of the reactionary intrigue
against the realisation Of the emperor's
wish for universal equal. direct and Sc
airy Prussian diet, which. on an earlier
occasion did not hesitate to disregard
the soveretgn's expressed wishes on
franchise reform.
Nor does the new imperial announce
ment prescribe the immediate adoption Of
the reform. without waiting for the end
of the war. and there Is not a word for
the present Of the introduction Of parlia-
mentarism in the imperial administration.
or Of the abandonment of the policy OF
conquest. or the elimination Of reactionary
or incompetent ministers. which matters
have been discussed at great length by
the newspapers recently.
Must Discard Reform Project.
The emperors manifesto forces the
Prussian ministry to discard Its reform
largely worked out. and which, according
to reports in Berlin political circles. al
though doing away With the three-clAa1
system. was introduced as q concession to
the conservative and national liberal par
ties the principle Of plural voting. A
proviso Is made that the attainment Of
q certain age. marriage or educational
qualification entities an elector to add
tional votes.
The conservatives had vainly endeavor-
ed to have this principle, which pro
| vides some counterbalance to the big So
| cialist vote. extended to embrace property
as qualification for an additional vote. but
the idea was finally dropped.
Prevents Jockeying.
The emperor's insertion OF the word
equal In the formula presenting the
new franchise will operate to preyent the
government and the hitherto dominant
parties from jockeyinA with the new suf-
frage bill, defeating or limiting the re-
form In practice. while granting it in
principle.
The extent to which equal suffrage, II
the German government is able to get its
bill through the hostile diet. will shake
the domination Of the junker Prussian
government may be judged by the COM
parties in the diet under this bill. The
conservative leaders have figured, on the
basis OF their voting tables. that tho
strength of the two conservative parties.
the lower house. would drop under the
most favorable conditions to 1874 and
might not even reach 100
The national liberals. now with sew
| enty-three members, would be repre-
scented in an equal suffrage house by
from thirty-four to hfty-two. while the
socialists. with a paltry ten members al
the present time. would jump to al
least sixty-nin~ and might secure ur
to 125 seats. The radicals would gain
slightly and the center would show
moderate shrinkage.
Held Modest Beginning.
The emperor's manifesto reached tn.
newspapers too late for extended com
ment The Tageblatt and Vorwaert,
welcome II as modest beginning, al.
though II misses the real and needed
reform. namely. parliamentarism in thu
empire.
late because 1t fears that with tn,
passing OF old Prussia part of Ger.
many's might has gone to the grave.
Whole Government May Quit.
AMSTERDAM. July ia rumor ha,
reached Holland that the entire Ger
man government will resign with I'm
perial Chancellor Won Bethmann Holl
veg. the main committee OF the reich
stag having refused to vote a war cred
it unless the government declares IL
policy regarding peace and reform
which the government has declined I,
do. An imperial proclamation is con
sidered imminent.
The vossische zeitung and Loka
Anssigsr. both Of Berlin. agree tina
the chancellor resigned owing to q let
ter from the center or clerical part,
declaring that the conclusion OF