Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-21
GERMAN EMPEROR HAS
POWER TO MAKE PEACE
hundesrat Described as "Asscmbly
OF German Sovereigns, RESPONSE
able to Nothing on Earth"
HAS VETO ON THE REICHsTAG
bismarck Boosted That He Was Ac.
conntable Only to Crown-Elcc-
torai Districts Unchanged Since
1S71--Army Real Representative.

orai districts Unchanged Since
1S71--Army Real Representative.
Especial TO The mes-Dispatch.]
WASHINGTON. October 2o.-Prcsi-
cent Wilson has informed Germany and
'he world that the nllisd enemies OF the
central powers will make no peace
win tho autocratic power exercizcd by
inc German government: that 1t is ne
cessary for the German nation to set
up new regime at Berlin before that
mutton can be treated with. and that
In, Inc war will proceed to a deadly fin
selves put their house in order.
IN this decision the entire entente
Eaoup or nations has concurred. They
nave agreed that no peace can hope 10
endure that grants immunity or a fur
iher lease. OF life to the German En-
p poror and that group OF miltaris,s
upw the absolute masters of the en-
pre-, This Is insisted upon, notwith-
SSd1andinE the claim OF the Imperial
Snaneeilor that Germany has been de-
nocratized and that he has authority
Eeishsss as the pr eGsa po .ds
OF inc German people.
lnasrnuch as the character IF the
German government has become per
oaps the supreme issue in connection
WIN peace: and inasmuch as 1t stands
t,o-day as the greatest single obstacle
10 quick termination OF the war. il
might be timely TO give cornD:ehcn.
INV S,se u outline ne Of that government. show
tions. what degree of power liz lodged
IN the Kaiser. in the Reichstag. in The
imperial ministry And It might be
stated at once that tho outline which
y TO follow is based upon official In
aormation In possession or this gov.
The. present German empire. consist
Ins OF twenty-hve states and one i'm
.S2ntederat!on. founded in 1871. Thc
King Of Prussia. the most powerful OF
p eG Sf Of ferm sta,sz Is ipso tac,o EN-
hundesrat, but The viii Of "t The H re- che
declare dsaf .eea G nSt be sonsalted He may
consent or even the Eundcs.at how
ever. and since the present relgnisg
house or Germany has always claimed
= mas never consulted anybody regard,
Ing war
EMPEnoR OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
OF THE ARMY AND NAVY
The Emperor Is commander in chief
P!ete control over ali foreign affairs:
nc nc makes treaties. subiec, TO certain
may make peace lie is advised by an
imperial Chancellor, appointed BY him.
ana rSeis a 10 no other authority
an imperial ministry, consisting o. VA
rious secretaries or state. who are mere
department, heads or chief clerks. hav-
lean Cabinet or the British Ministry
These officials are directly responsible
10 the Chancellor
The legislative. power OF the empire
and the Reichs,ag. The Bundesrat is
infinitely the more powerful OF these
g. I'D" nf Germany IL is composed
OF delegates appointed by the sover-
ss.S.s ot he German states. These
the German court. but each state Is
not represented equally by them as is
Tho case with the American senate. OF
the siSty-one members OF the Bundles
rat: seventeen represent Prussia. which
added 10 the three from Aisace- Lor-
,Msn;v na IN by the Kaiser. makes
has Wuerrtemberg; Bavaria has SIN;
others two or three, and seventeen OF
apiece.
The Bundesrat has been described as
AN assembly Of German sovereigns. re-
Gtrman legislation originates In this
body. and nothing that the Reichstar
GOES is valid until favorably acted upon
The princes OF Germany. therefore.
have a fat veto upon any and all ac-
tion which the Reichstas. the one pop
The Bundesrat Is essentially a mon
archlal institution. Its proceedings are
secret. which explains in n measure
why little is heard OF II in this coun-
try.
REICHSTAG ELECTED
ny VOTE OF PEOPLE
The Reichstag is body Of men elect
ca by direct vote of the German people.
tits composed of 3o7 members. each
each voted for by men twenty-fiyve
years Of aEe or older. The powers Of
This body are IN no sense comparable
Iesentatives. the British House Of Com
IRONS or the French Chamber of Depu-
ties. IN concurrence with the Bundles
rat, 1t has power to make appropria-
t lions also Also IFS consent is required for
the leYying OF new taxes: but II can
rot repeal any existing tax without
leyying new one a substitute
The Reichstag has ITO power TO make
or unmake ministries and can cXer-
else no control whatever over the
Kaiser. 1t may rcjec, measures asked
for by The government but this makes
little adherence 70 the Chancellor. 1t
vas the boast of Bismarck that he was
in no sense tho servant OF the Reich
stag, but he was accountable only to
the crown.
played upon at this time as the repre-
sentative of the German people, it rem
i.'ents them upon peculiar basis. The
each haytng ~ tha Wef , ,aia out IN s71
y 100000 population. SINCE that time
there has, has been no change in these dis
lFiCe l'neo', ailnou6n there mas been a
general shift In population. Some
members at the present time are elect
cd by. few thousand Germans, where
as others are elected by hundreds o.
thousands. y Berlin Deputy rcnre-
sents about $4,000 people, for exam.
pie, and an East Prussan Deputy rem
resents an average Of about $4,000.
RErCIIsTAG HAS NO CONTROL
WHATEVER OVER CROWN
The all-important fact about the Ger
man government OF to-day is that the
one political assembly In tho empire
has no control whatever over The
crown. and it's will is subject to the
fiat veto of the Bundesrat, represent
Ing. reigning princes. large and small.
voting always behind closed doors. Tho
Bundesrat even has the power to dis
solve the Reichstag when 1t pleases.
1.-THE German governing classes the
princes, the Bureaucracy agree with
said that the real ballot Gin Germany
was, the cartridge which the German
soldier carried in his cartridge box, and
that the real Representative of tho ma
ton was the army"
The kingdom of Prussia is much
larger than all the other German states
combined: It has a population exceed
ing 100000 people. 1t was Prussia
that formed the empire. and She did it
by blood and steel; and Prussia has
arranged a scheme Of government that
49,