Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-06
REFORMS CERTAIN TO
FOLLOW POPULAR
DEMANDS
JUNKERS IN DEFEAT
WAR CASTE PLACED ON DEFEN.
sIvE, is REPORT ELIMINATING
FROM INSTRUMENTATION
HOPE FOR ARMIsTicE.

Amsterdam, Sept. 6-Sentiment In
favor of reforms which will make
for peace" is sweeping thruout Ger
many. Despite efforts Of the inspired
newspapers to still the demand for
readjustments the liberal element Is
gaining ground daily. In consequence
it already is certain that with the re-
convening of the Reichstag the Ques-
ton of reform and Its application to
peace proposals will be forced to the
front.
Demands that the German people,
for their own sake, repudiate the PAN
Germanistic program and insist that
the Reichstag take into its own hands
direction of the national foreign poll
cy are coming from many sources.
TO all the only argument that the
conservatives and the war party has
been to muster, has been that Presi.
dent Wilson has interfered in the In
ternal affairs of Germany and that In
consequence the nation must maintain
a united front Of opposition to reform.
And, with the constantly increasing
pinch Of hunger and cold with the
economic situation increasingly dang
erous, and a general realization that
the war must go on to bitter conclu.
sion, this argument is growing In
creasingly futile.
Matthias Erzberger becomes more
and more the man OF the hour, ac-
cording to advices filtering across the
: frontier.
, Erzberger will demand when the
3 Reichstag reconvenes that the reform
program be resumed whether 1t Is
: abandoned before Dr. Michaelis was
: elected chancellor. In this connection
advces received here indicate that
Erzberger will denOunce DR.. Michaelis
for his failure stand on the peace pro-
gram already adopted at the Reich
stag 1t then is expected that on be-
half of the Catholic and Socialist
group demand will be made that
the entire reform program, including
the making of the Chancellor respon.
sive to the Reichstag instead of the
Emperor, he put through. In this con-
nection it now seems likely that gen.
; eral election on the subject with ar.
rangements made that all soldiers ev-
erywhere.
Washington Gets Report.
Washington, D. c., Sept, 6-Ad-
vices from Amsterdam telling of the
growth of the reforms In Germany
have been confirmed in confidential
reports from American represents
4, tives in Europe now before President
Wilson They have encouraged the
| administration to hope that the end
= of the German absolutism may be in
: sight.
!. The information coming here em-
phasizes the gigantic effort which the
stem the tide of reform and retain
its holding governmental machine.
The inspired newspapers, following a
program laid out for them by the
+ government, are emphasizing the Ger
, man victory's in Russia and the fall
, of Riga as an indication of the com.
, plete victories that will come II Ger
, mans will stand fast And as a sop
= to the people generally these same
r papers are openly boastng that the
= Russian grain supply shortly will be
@ at the disposal of the German govern.
n ment But the information reaching
s here today both from American dip
d lomats and from neutral agents. Is
+ that the presidents declaration that
r until the German people take control
of their own government peace nego
tiations are impossible, has over
shadowed all else and that the ques
tion of reform is about the only 0ns
under discussion in Germany.
Kaiser Thanks Bremen Merchants.
Il Amsterdam, Sept. 6-The following
o characteristic message has just beer
:, sent by the kaiser to the Bremen
= Chamber of Commerce. In response
:, to its resolution of protest against
;, President Wilson's peace note to the
vatican, according to Berlin advices
~ today;
=, my warmest thanks to the Bremen
merchants for their patriotic declara
tion Hitherto the knavish plans ol
, the enemy have been shipwrecked on
" German strength, thanks to Gods
~ help. And now German loyalty Will
=, bring to nought all attempts to sep
.. - arate the German people from their
kaiser"