The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-23
KAISER ATTEMPTS
TO SHIFT ODIUM
Trap Set for the Reichstag to
Bear Burden of Peace
Conditions.
REFORMS CALLED SHAM
Elevation Of Socialists to Gov
eminent Posts Declared to
Be Pure Fiction.


Formerly Berlin Correspondent Of the
London Times
Special Gable Despdtch to Tar suN from the
London Times Service.
Copyright. 1915; all riohn reserued
LONDON. oct. 22.--While there Is no
need for the Allies to be entangled In
voluminous debate over the constitution
of/the German Empire. IL may be worth
while to state certain facts in view OF
the dlsngenuous reply to the Presidents
demand for the destruction OF every
arbitrary power that can separately,
secretly and of its single choice disturb
the peace OF the world
In the first place, the promise of con-
stitutional reform is not new A con-
stitution committee Of the Reichstag
was set up eighteen months ago under
DR.. Won Bethmann- Holweg, the former
Chancellor 1t promised more important
| reforms than any now contemplated. but
nothing came of its debates except GER
| tain extensions OF the Reichstag fran
chise and the application OF proportional
voting in certain large constituencies,
In the meantime the German military
censorship suppressed all literature con-
tanning proposals for reform---for eN-
ample. the pamphlet OF Prof Hugo
Preuss. a really competent authority
who seems to have demonstrated that
| nothing worth while can be done until
the constitution is pulled to pieces.
Amendment an Afterthousht.
The German note recites that a bill
has been put before the Reichstag to
alter the constitution. so that the con-
sent OF the people, acting through tho
| Re!chstag. will be required in decisions
! OF peace or war. As a matter OF fact
this statement Is untrue. because this
proposed amendment to the constitution
/ is an afterthought. as will be seen in
moment. Evidently, however, the pro-
rosal is 10 amend the words italicized in
the following paragraph, Clause .ii. OF
the constitution:
THE presidency OF the federation be-
longs to the King OF Prussia. who bears
the name of the German Emperor The
Emperor represents the empire interrd-
| ftoHuHy, declares tcdr and concludes
| peace: enters into alliances and draws
treaties with foreign Powers and ac-
credits and receives Ambassadors"
This apparent concession to democ-
racy is easily explained. Who shall de-
clare the next German war does not
interest anybody. On the other hand
portance to the Kaiser to associate the
Reichstag with the conclusion of peace
The Kaiser explained this in the follow
ing immortal advice he gave the Rus
| Sian Gar in Suly. 1905:
| With the actual spirit prevailing in
| Russia the disaffectcd masses will try
to place the whole responsibility for the
Instantaneous consequences on your
shoulders. while the success would be
'
ments. II would be excellent as the
first task OF these Duma representatives
II YOU gave them the peace treaty with
/ Japan after II is formulated. for them
| to vote upon, thus leaving the odium
of the decision to the country. therefore
/ giving the Russian people voice in the
matter OF their own prosperity. The
/ outcome would be their work. therefore
would stop the mouths OF the OPPOSE
; ton"
Scheme for shifting Odium.
1t remains to be seen whether the
/ but such is the noble work so far as II
| goes. OF Solf. Scheidemann and Err
/ berger. The scheme for shifting the
I odium is an afterthought, and not the
! first act of the new Government. In
! his Reichstag speech OF October what
| Prince Macmillan promised was:
Alterations in the provisions OF our
! constitution along the lines OF the i'm
| perial DEGREES OF September 80 which
shall make IL possible for those mem
bers OF the Reichstag who enter the
| Government 10 retain their seats in the
| Reichstag. \ bill TO this end has been
submitted to the Federal States and will
! Immediately be made the object of their
! conside ration and decision"
| This was naturally taken to mean the
| impending repeal OF the sentence in that
clause OF the constitution which says no
| one may at the same time be a member
OF the Federal Council and of the
Relchstag." Not a bit of it, The Ba-
varian Government, and possibly others,
Immediately cried: Hands of the Fed
eral Council :"
| Thereupon Prince Maxs beautiful new
! Government was forced to announce off,
| ciaily that the repeal OF the sentence Just
quoted did not come into question, be-
cause such repeal would violate another
! provision OF the constitution Clause 8,
according to which the Federal Council
and the Reichstag stand over against
each other as legislative corporations of
the empire. independent OF each other"
As matter OF fact. Clause merely
says that the legislation for the empire
| Is carried on by the Federal Council and
the Reichstag." and contains nothing
bout the independence and equal rights
of the two bodies.