Evening star., 1917-03-17
GERMAN SCOUTS
|DEA0F VICTORY
Socialist Leader Calls U-Boat
War Crime Against Inter-
national Law.
GOVERNMENT is ASSAILED
BY the Associated Press.

THE HAGUE, via London, March II.
The Koelnische Zeitung's account of
the sensational debate in the Prussian
diet Thursday adds some details to
the speech of the socialist leader, Adolf
Hoffman, for which he was voted into
silence. The paper says that Hoffman,
amid noisy interruptions accused high
ly placed functionaries of cornerlng
food while the poorer classes of north
Germany were falling ready victims to
smallpox owing to enfeebled vitality.
The socialist deputy went on to de-
clare that Germany was mourning the
execration of the world through
policy of senseless provocation. The
tumult increased when he denounced
any idea of annexation as senseiess
and criminal and the climax was reach
ed when he stigmatized submarine
warfare as a crime against interna-
tional law. At this point he was
shouted down and the house voted that
he be no longer heard.
Scouts German Victory.
Adolf Hoffman, in supporting the de-
sire for peace, is reported to nave
ridiculed the idea of a complete Ger
man victory. saying:
when we attain this, there will be
no German soldiers left alive"
"The German nation" Herr Hoffman,
added, .fs bleeding for the sins of those
in power ." 1t is high time (re-
operat ton to remove this appendix of
the body polite Absolutism mas
hurled Germany into the horrors OF
this war and turned the whole world
against u.s. This feudalistic system of
government must CO..
Denounces Upper House.
Herr Leinert, q socialist democrat.
according to the Berlin Vorwaerts of
Thursday, denounced the upper cham
Der of the diet. which he said regarded
| the government as the mere caretaker
of their own selfish interests and where
nothing counted but shameless prof.
teering. Declaring that the reorgani-
zation of that body as suggested by
the national liberals was useless, he
added.
1--WE must abolish the Herrenhaus.
which is a milestone around the neck
of any progressive development in
| Prussia -
Deputy Leinert also upbraided Count
! Yorck, who had attacked the socialist
| leader, Carl Legien, because, the re-
ports add. after the break between Ger
many and the United States, the latter
mac promised IHe feueTdllofi
| OF Labor that he would bring the in
| huence of the German workmen's
| unions to bear upon the government.
| Says People Demand Peace.
Such influence" Herr Leinert is re-
ported to have said, the herrenhaus
regards as its own special prerogative.
1t wants the people to be comman-
deered into war and out of it. and that
| things should remain as they were.
| That is impossible. The people de-
mand peace at the soonest possible
moment.
I'VE are no longer serfs whom the
king can buy and sell or order us to
bleed and die at the word of command.
We are a nation that has reached po-
litical manhood.
Amid intermittent cheers Herr Lei
merit hinted at a time coming when the
whole nation would arise and sweep
"junkerism" off the earth.
Militarism Blamed for War.
AMSTERDAM, via London, March IL
The Rheinische Westfalische Zei-
tung publishes the following excerpt
from the speech of Deputy Hoffman,
in the Prussian diet, which brought
about his expulsion from the chamber: =:
I'VE shall refuse to vote for the
budget Chancellor Won Bethmann
Hollweg is merely the fig leaf of mill
tary absolutism. Militarism bears the
responsibility for the bloodshed in