The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-07


sew Imperial Chancellor Of Germany
Saturday, follows:
In accordance with the imperia
decree OF September 80 the German
Empire has undergone a basic alter
alton OF political leadership.
LAS successor to Count George F
Won Hertling, whose services in be
half of the Fatherland deserve thu
highest acknowledgment, have beer
summoned by the emperor to lead thu
new government.
'In accordance with the government
tai method now introduced l submit
to the Reichstag, publicly and withou
delay, the principles upon which I pro
pose to conduct the grave response
bilities OF the office.
"Prlncipies Firmly Established"
These principles were firmly es
tablished by the agreement of the fed
Grated governments and the leaders
of the majority parties in this House
before l decided to assume the dutie:
OF chancellor.
"They contain. therefore. not onl.
my own confession Of political faith
but that of an overwhelming portion
OF the German peoples representa-
tives. that is. of the German natior
which has constituted the Reichstal
on the basis of general. equal and
secret franchise, and according t.
their will.
only the fact that know the con
viction and will Of the majority of the
people are back of me has given me
-. -<~Al, 30 AL ~
Of the empires affairs in this hard and
earnest time in which we are living
"People Are Asked to AID"
"One mans shoulders would be toe
weak to carry alone the tremendous
responsibility which falls upon the
government at present. Only If the
people take active part. in the broad
est sense Of the word. OF deciding
their destinies; in other words. II re
sponsibility also extends to the ma
jority OF their freely elected political
leaders, can the leading statesman
confidently assume his part of the re
sponsibility in the service of the faith
erland?"
my resolve to do this has been
specially lightened for me by the fact
that prominent leaders of the labor
ing class have found a way in the new
government to the highest offices OF
the empire.
81 see therein sure guarantee that
the new government will be supported
by the firm confidence Of the broad
masses Of the people. without whose
true support the whole undertaking
would be condemned to failure in ad
vance.
Hence. what I say today. say not
only in my own name and those of
my official helpers, but in the name
OF the German people.
1.-THE program of the majority par
ties upon which I take my stand con-
tains, first, an acceptance of the an
swer of the former Imperial govern
ment to Pope Benedict's note Of Au-
gust /, 1916, and an unconditional &C.
ceptance of the reichstag resolution of
July 10, the same year.
ut further declares willingness to
join a general league Of nations based
on the foundation Of equal rights for
all. both strong and weak.
ut considers this solution of the
Belgian question to lie in the COM
plete rehabilitation (wiederherstell-
fng) of Belgium. particularly Of its in
dependence and territorial integrity.
An effort shall also be made to reach
an understanding on the question OF
Indemnity.
Treaties to Be No Hindrance."
THE program will not permit the
peace treaties hitherto concluded to
be a hindrance to the conclusion of
general peace.
| Its particular aim is that popular
bodies shall be formed
Immediately on a broad basis in the
Baltic provinces. in Lithuania and
Poland. We will promote the realiza-
tion Of necessary preliminary condi-
tions therefore without delay by the
Introduction OF civilian rule.
"All these lands shall regulate their
constitutions and their relations with
neighboring peoples without external
interference.
"In the matter of international poll
cies I have taken a clear stand
through the manner in which the for
nation OF the Government was
brought about. Upon my motion lead
ers of the majority parties were sum
moned for direct advice.
cit was my conviction, gentlemen,
that unity of imperial leadership
should be assured.
II considered almost still more i'm.
portant the unity OF ideas. pro-
ceeded from this viewpoint and have,
In making my selections, laid greatest
weight on the fact that the members
of the new Imperial Government
stand on basis Of just peace Of jus
tice, regardless Of the war situation.
and that they have openingly declared
this to be their standpoint at the time
when we stood at the height Of our
military successes.
II am convinced that the manner in
which the Imperial leadership is now
constituted with cooperation Of the
reichstag is not something ephemeral,
and that when peace comes a govern
ment cannot again be formed which
does not find support in the reichstag
and does not draw its leaders there
from
1.-THE war has conducted us beyond
the old multifarious and disrupted
party life which made 1t so difficult
to put into execution uniform and
decisive political wish. The forma
ton of a majority means the forma-
ton OF political will, and an indis
putable result of the war has been
that in Germany for the first time
great parties have joined together in
a firm. harmonious program and have
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