Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-25
GERMANY IN
DEMOCRATIC GUISE
(From Manitoba Free Press.)X


The efforts Of official Germany to
persuade the people of the Allied
countries that the government Of
which the kaiser is still the head, and
which is still supported by a reichs-
tag that has given. willing support to
every move which the %autocracy has
made since he war began, is now
democratic in form and spirit, are not
likely to be successful, while supported
only by the fine-sounding assurances
to be found in the latest German note.
Before Germany can expect the>treat-
ment that would be accorded to a de-
mocracy, the supposed new spirit Of
her people must find some more con-
vincing expression than these hastily
designed garments of paper in which
the sinister figures of her familiar
leaders now posture. awkwardly upon
he. diplomatic stage.
The word Of convicted Inc habitual
liars is the only evidence we now have
that in Germany the destruction has
been accomplishedlo of every arbitrary
power that can separately, secretly and
of its W single choice, disturb the
peace of the world" 1t is true that
certain FEASIBILITY is given to these
not yet certain that these acts are
more h a disguise hastily assumed
in the face of disaster, to be cast aside
at n first favorable opportunity. A
great, parade is made, for example, of
the Limitation of the kaiser's autocratic
powers. Article II of the constitution
of h German empire reads:
1.-The king of Prussia shall be the
president of the confederation, and
shall bear the title German emperor.
The emperor shall represent the m
pire In international affairs, shall de
clare war and conclude peace : I'M the
name of the empire, enter into .alli-
ances and other treaties with foreign
states, accredit and receive ambassa-
doris. e.,
1.-The sanction Of the bundesrat is
necessary for the declaration of war
In the name of the empire, except
when an attack is made on the terri
tory of the confederation or its coasts.
In so far as the treaties with for
eign countries relate to such matters
as, according to Article 4, come within
the scope Of the imperial legislation,
the approval of h bundesrat shall
be required for their ratification and
the consent Of the reichstag to make
them effective"
The bundesrat has consented to the
following amendment to Article II:
THE consent of the federal council
and the reichstag is required for q
declaration of war in the . empires
name, except in a case where imperial
territory has already been invaded o,
its coasts attacked" Paragraph 3 is
amended to read:
Treaties Of peace, and treaties with
foreign states which deal with affairs
coming under the competence of the
imperial law-giving bodies require the
consent Of the federal council and thu
reichstag." "
Given the existence Of a reichstag
actually representative Of a German
nation that had shown itself to have
developed something Of the spirit o,
a free people. such constitutional
amendments might have some mean
Ing: But the reichstag which rever.
emily supports the new candidate fol
a place Fmong the worlds democra
cies, is the reichstag which wa,
elected in 1912, which supported tn.
declaration of war. and which, dprin,
the war, as one puppet chancellor
AFTER another has strutted his littl,
hour and been withdrawn from tn,
stage by the masters of the show
h a yelled implacably for war Of
cooed sweetly for peace, according tt
the military situation and the orde,
OF those masters
Can we blame Jul enemies" TIL,
F~rankfurter Zeituns asked, but a shor
time ago, III they regard the reichs
tag In Germany az merely an orna
ment. and conclude that we are i,
reality governed according to the idea
OF the eighteenth century,"
Having in mind all these cosider
ations which support suspicion 20
Germany in her new and hastily as
sumed role, 1t Is interesting, t recall
that in 1871 Germany refused to max
peace with the existing government ol
ne ground that II did not represen
ton OF a new assembly Of .deputie.
qualified to speak with the voice q
France. Is not this q precedent I
keep In mind during the comm
days?