Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-11

| AMSTERDAM. October 1O.-The Ger.
man empire is shaking to it's founda.
the defeats in the west and the internal
political storm Embossed by the peace
. offer.
| "Win tho Kaiser abdicate?" is the
! question CT the hour both inside and
outside TIE empires borders. Reports
persisted all day that he already had
done SO. but there wns no confirmation
Within tho next forty-eight hours
| however. Wilhelm II. will be faced By
the fateful decision Of his life in which
he must choose ono of three courses:
/. Abdicate.
>. Abolish paragraph II OF the i'm
perial constitution and thereby sign
away his autocraUc power of making
war and peace. This. with other in
to figurehead. n shadow Emperor"
3. Defy President Wilson and the
world by summoning his armed forces
to a fight to the last ditch. Thus he
would court internal revolt.
Williams mere abdication. accord
ing to best diplomatic opinion here.
viii not suffice. The question Of aues
Rumor to-day had 1t that not the
crown prince. but Prince August VIII
helm was slated 10 take the crown II
testifles to Berlins realization that the
orld's hatred and contempt for tho
heir pFesumptive is little less intense
than that felt for his father, II is felt
plete remuneration of the crowns auto
cratic powers will suffice to convince
the world Il new order OF things Is 10
Nor is il entirely unlikely that the
new majority bloc, especially the So
cialists. once the Kaiser is out OF the
archy and insist upon tho creation or
the republic.
AIR is SETTLING WITH
TALK OF SUCCESSOR
Prince Max is suggested as the log
ical provisional presidG ,n, OF ,h Suc "a a
oiutionary change be made, however.
before peacc--or at least an armistice
has been actually declared, com
and navy is, regarded AS tho inGvi.
table immediate consequence. inc
Kaiser is the war lord" to whom
many have sworn allegiance.
For the proud Prussian army. espc,,
cially the Guards and the officers and
cianco overnight TO a prince of Baden
would be too bitter pill for them
to swallow, Sectional strife w3mia
troops and commanders and dynnsties
OF the Kingdoms of Saxonp. bavaria
and Wuerttemburg. already chaiing
under the unrrscedented ,h s9,nor hcr oo
tho mere grand, duchy' Of Baden
would inevitably bolt.
Altogether, Il tranStuTn NATION OF inc
cmnirc into 4 republic, involving. AS
II also does. abolition Of tho other
federated crowns, reducing them to
mere states" is believed too volcanic
to be brought about by anything short
OF repetition of the Russian rcvolu-
ton.
Thus, constitutional amendments eff
fccting transferencc OF the Naiser's
powers to tho RcichstaG and BundeS-
rat, and possibly the abdication OF the
EMPEROR in favor OF August Wilhelm,
IS regarded here as moro likeiy de-
Whether the crown prince would
quietly resign himself 10 such fate is
another important question. If he is
still the leader, or one OF the chief
tains OF the military party, an attempt
nj n coup detat would surprise no
one.
BERLIN GOVERNMENT BENT
on THREAD OF PEACE
Meanwhile history is believed 10 be
making strides with seven league
boots In the empire. All indications
arc that irrespective OF what drastic
changes. if any. may occur. the Berlin
government is bent upon hanging on TO
the thread or peace possibility offered
by the interchange of notes
Even before President Wilson's note
has reached Berlin officially. Wilhelm
strasSe's mouthpiecc. the Nord Deutsche
Allgomc!nc ZeitunS. hastens TO say:
we have reason to bclievc that the