The sun., 1918-10-15


pire among nations. declare war. and
conclude peace In the name OF the same.
enter into alliances and other conven-
tions with foreign countries, accredit
Ambassadors and receive them"
Communications, therefore, on the
subject Of peace reaching Washington
from Berlin come from the Kaiser.
This Is the case whether they are
signed by Prince MAMMALIAN as I'm
perinl Chancellor or by DR.. SoLr as
State Secretary Of the Foreign Office.
These executive officers are not re-
sponsible to the Reichstag or to any
organ OF representative government.
They are responsible solely to the
Kaiser, whose constitutional author
ity In respect Of war or peace is au-
tocratic. The war making and peace
making functions of the Kaiser are
entirely independent of the imperial
legislature, the Reichstag. They are
limited only by the requirement Of
q sanction by the Princes Of Ger
many In the case of declaration Of
war. No parliament elected by the
people Of Germany Is the Kaiser's
partner In the making of war or Of
peace. In the case Of the conclusion
Of peace by treaty there Is no such
check upon the Kaiser's absolutely
monarchlc authority as Is seen in our
own constitutional system, where the
Chief Executive and Commander In
Chief, vast rs are his powers, may
negotiate a treaty Of peace, but must
obtain Its ratification by the Senate
before 1t becomes a completed act of
the United States Government.
The bearing of this upon the ex-
listing situation is obvious. "Whose
voice. is speaking now?" was asked
by THE Sun when the unofficial text
of the Berlin reply first reached the
United States. II is apparent that 1t
is the Kaiser's voice now speaking for
In the absence Of formal and radi-
cal change In the German Constitu-
ton DR.. SoLF can speak no more for
the Reichstag than he can speak for
the Chamber of Commerce or the
Merchants Association of New York.
II he could speak for the Relchstag
he would be speaking for a body
without constitutional power to par
tfcipate in the Kaiser's negotiations
for peace. The Kaiser alone has con-
stitutional authority 30 parley; and
the Kaiser's Imperial Government, re-
sponsible for the inception of the
war, responsible for the wars whole
shameful history Of perfidy and saw
age brutality In both Its political and
its military conduct, Is the very Gov
eminent with which President VII
son has peremptorily and rightly re-
fused to hold Communication on the
subject Of peace.
There has been in the roundabout
dispatches from Berlin some report
of modification Of imperial powers
by decree promulgated on Septem-
Der 30. that is to say, Just a fort
night ago. American understanding
of the character and extent of gov
ernmental change. wrought by this
decree Is indistlnct. There is also
unofficial talk Of willingness on the
part of the constitutional War Lord
of Germany to consent to future
changes limiting his autocratic power
over war. and peace. II this Is what
the Kaiser's voice means when 1t
speaks of "the present German Gov
eminent" and describes 1.-THE present
German Government" as having been
formed by conferences and In agree
ment with the great majority Of the
Reichstag," he is offering to the Pres
ident exceedingly vague information
and extremely unsatisfactory Gre
dentials.
Either there has been or has not
been a revolution In the German Gov
eminent meeting the Presidents fatty
stated requirement of representative
and honorable authority with which
to hold converse. If there has been
such q revolution 1t would be the
easiest thing in the world for Its
spokesman to make the fact clear to
the Presidents perception. II there
has not been such revolution, 1.-The
present German Government" Is of
the same men with whom 1--WE have
no common language and can have
no thought in common; the same
establishment devoid Of honor and
camoudaged for this occasion In very
diaphanous paint.