New-York tribune., 1918-07-28
Chancellor in order fully to clarity the


situation"
A number of other members during
these three days did their part toward
showing up the military usurpation.
Hauss read a letter from Ludendorff
himself, addressed to an Alsace-Lorraine
manufacturers association, saying that
Hindenburg regarded the annexation of
the two districts to Prussia as the best
solution of their future status. Hauss
also went into lengthy details to show
how the military authorities in Alsace-
Lorraine had utterly throttled the Legis-
lature there since the war began, either
prescribing to it what subjects it might
discuss, or even prohibiting its sessions
altogether.
Grober, one of the most respected
leaders of the Catholic party, complained
of similar arbitrary measures in Lithua-
MIA. He said that the military authori-
ties there were treating the Lithuanian
population just as military superiors
treat their soldiers: they closed all
schools at Wilma which would not under
take to teach the German language
given number of hours, and they pro-
hibited the sending of letters into or out
of the district written in the Lithuanian
language. Then David, one of the
strongest Socialist members, charged
that the military authorities were trying
to influence political developments in
those borderlands; that they cared not
one whit for the votes of the Reichstag
and were trying to prevent democratic
forces from getting the upper hand, and
hence no actual expression of self deter
mination had taken place there.
The Framkflrter Zeiturg used this
debate as text for onepf the most strik-
ing and significant editorials that have
been written in Germany during this
war. Referring to the growing strength
OF the military party, it confessed that
the climax had certainly been reached
when the military censorship undertook
to dictate how the utterances of the re-
sponsible ministers were to be inter-
preted by the press. $50 far as we
know" it said, "things had not yet
reached such a pass that the military
censors gave grades, schoolmaster-like,
on the utterances of members of the gov
ernment., That is going far, but it is
characteristic of the situation.''
The further remarks Of this able news
paper are interesting and illuminating.
After mentioning Berlin reports, accord
~ oh
standing shoulder to shoulder with KUhl-
mann, its editorial goes on:
eff it is possible for the Supreme Army
Command, as became known in former
crises and has again become evident
in these latest proceedings in the Reichs-
tag-to reverse (umbiegen) at any
time views of the political leaders which
may be displeasng to them, to prohibit
the acquiescence of the public in those
views, and to compel the authors of them
to execute themselves-then it matters
little what are the names of the men who
transact the public affairs and appear
before the Reichstag as sponsors of Ger
many's policy. For then the political
government is, after all, but a sham: as
matter of fact the minority of the
Reichstag rules by being able to show
that it is in agreement with the Army
Command
There are two possibilities which, in
the place of the present ambiguity. ipht
bring real solution: either the I'M
perlal Chancellor must declare in the
name of the government and in the most
formal way, the willingness of the gov
eminent to put an end to the war through
peace by understanding, such as shall
satisfy the necessities of our existence.
or else the representatives of those in
Huences--whose spokesmen are saying in
the Reichstag that the government will
not and can not pursue a policy of under-
standlng-must themselves take over the
responsibility for Germanys policy.
"lf it be right that the Supreme Army
Command determine the course of our
policy then it is but natural that our
policy be taken over quite openly by
some person of that persuasion. A con-
dition of things where Reichstae mem
bers of the Right have conceptions of the
governments purpose quite the opposite
to those held by the Left is in the long
run lntolerable. The Reichstag majority
must press with all energy for clearing
up of this situation. If neither the one
thing nor the other happens and if the
existing illusion continues we shall prob
ably again be confronted soon with fresh
crises. The preparation for peace. how
ever, cannot be promoted, but only him
dered by such an equivocal situation"
The obsequies of the pretence of de-
mocracy in Germany have since been
formally performed. On Friday dis
patch was received via Berne saying
that the Imperial General Staff has been
invested with full Executive and state
rights