St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-01-26

ment OF Germany In a concise form.
The following epitome of the eonstitu-
tional powers Limitations we should
say of the Empire. written by one of
Americas most eminent educators,
will be read with interest.
The President Of the United States
lii his address to Congress on April
2 announced that our object in enter
ing the war against Germany was TO
yindfcate the principles Of peace and
justice in the life of the world as
against selfish and autocratic power
declared that the menace of the
worlds peace aid freedom tiles in
the existence of a~utocratic govern
ments, backed by organized force
which Is controlled wholly by their
viii, not by the will OF their people,
announced that "a steadfast concert
for peace can never be maintained ex-
cept by a partnership Of democratic
nations" as mo autocrafic govern
ment could be trusted to keep faith
within 1t or observe its covenants"
stated tho grounds for his conviction
that 'the Prussian autocracy was not
and could never be our friend" said
that we were now about to accept the
gauge OF battle with "his natural foe
to- liberty and that we would If nee
essary ''spend the whole force of the
nation to check and nullify it's pre-
tensions and its power" He referred
to the German Government as ian
irresponsible government which has
thrown aside all considerations of hui
manity and OF right and is running
amuck:" and declared that the war
was d war for democracy and elemen-
tary human rights and for the liberia
ton OF the peoples, including the Ger
man peoples.
Was the president speaking soberly
and fairly when he described the
Prussian Government as an autocracy
and the German Government as If.
responsible? Was this arraignment
as accurate and just, as it certainly
Was scathing? Can one say that a
people Is ruled automatically when
they are endowed with written CON
stitutions. have parIiaments for their
individual states and for their nation
as q whole, have frequent elections,
in which political parties wrangla
with each other. and enjoy, or at least
possess, the right to vote?
The German Empire 10 a confedera-
tion. founded In 1871, ana founded by
The princes. not BY the people. and
consists Of u States and one Imperial
Territory, Alsace-Lorraine. The King
Of Prussia Is ipso facto German En-
peror. The legislative power rests
with two bodies. the Bundesrat. or
Federal Co,ncil, and the Reichstag.
! The Emperor declares war with the
consent OF the B~undesrat, the assent
agf the Reichstag not being reqrared.
Not even the Bundesrat need be con-
suited IL the wal il defensive, and as
the Hohendollerns have always
claimed to make defensive warfare it
ID not surprising that even the unrep-
resentative Bundesrat was officially
informed about the present war three
days after the Emperor declared it.
He is commander in chief Of the army
and navy, he has charge Of foreiga
affairs. and makes treaties, subject
to the limitation that certain kinds Of
treaties must be ratified BY Parlia-
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ment, He IS assisted by a chancellor,
whom he appoints and whom he re
moves, and who is responsible to him
and to him alone. Under the chan
cellor are various secretaries of state,
who simply administer departments,
but who do not form a cabinet, eth y
in the English or French o. American
sense. They are responsible to the
chancellor.
The laws that govern the German
Empire are made by two bodios-the
Bundesrat and the Reichatag. The
B~undesrat, of which we in Amer
lea hear very little. is the most pow
erful body In the Empire, far more
powerful than the Reichstag, Of which
we hear 4 great deal, It possesses
Legislative. executive, and judicial
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functions. ana ID q kind OF diplomatic
assemhsw IL ra-nrasanta tbs gYataa.