The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-20
Recognized Rules of Inter-
national Law Binding on
.,,,, b the Empire ~ a. )
PRESIDENT ELECTED
BY ENTIRE PEOPLE
Legislative Bodies Are Reichstag and
Imperial Council = Legitimate Chill
dren Given Same Standing Before
Law as Legitimate.


Z Law as Legitimate.
BERLIN, Aug. 20.-The new German.
constitution, which was passed by the
national assembly after months of de-
bate, and which became effective this
week, states that the generally recog-,
nized rules of international law will be,
held as binding on the empire. The en-
pire will have exclusive legislative
rights governing foreign affairs, colo
MES, citizenship, immigration, defense,
coinage, customs, posts, telegraphs, and
long distance telephones, repopulation,
motherhood, children, youth, health, Ia
Dor insurance, protection to laborers
and employees, eonfiseation, care of
wounded soldiers and their relatives,
socialization of national resources, econ
omic undertakings, manufacture, distri-
button, price fixing, economic produc-
ton, trade weights and measures, the is
suance of paper money, food, luxury, ar
ticles of industry, mines, insurance, the
mercantile marine, control of lake and
coast fisheries, railroads, automobile
traffic, transportation by land, water
and air, road construction, and theaters.
Individual states will have Legislative
rights, but the imperial law will super
sede those of individual states. Each
state must have a liberal constitution,
with a legislature elected by general,
equal and secret ballot by all Germans
men and women.
The constitution lays down rules for
altering the empire territorially, provid-
ing that the plebiscites shall be held in
districts affected.
The reichstag supersedes the tempo
rary national assembly. 1t will be
elected for term of four years.
The President will be chosen by the
entire German people instead of by the
assembly, and will hold office for term
of seven years. He will represent the
empire under international law, will
| make treaties and aceredit diplomatists
| Declarations of war or peace must be
| proclaimed by the imperial reichstag
and treaties with foreign states must BIZ
accepted by the reiehstag. The Presi
| dent, as commander chief of the EN-
| pire can employ armed forces for quell
] ing disturbances, or may send then
against states which do not fulfill thei
/ duties, but in doing so must notify TIN
reiehstag, which is given the power o.
l veto The President g orders must b,
countersigned by a chancellor or tn,
h imperial minister whose department i
affected. He has the right to pardon
criminals, but the granting of amnest,
OF ha hxy ha Sf
/ The chancellor will occupy a position
/ analogous to that of vice president. H
and the rest of the ministry will be ap
pointed by the President. The chancel
lor will determine the empires foreig
policy, bear responsibility for the cabi
net, and in case of a tie vote in tn
ministry, will have the deciding ballot
The imperial council will be compose
of representatives of individual state
which will have at least one vote apiec,
The votes of the larger states will b
based on population, being fixed on til
number of millions of inhabitants with
in their borders. No state can hay
more than two ffths of the total nun
Der of votes in the council. Half {
I Prussia q votes must come from pre-
vincial administrations.
Provision is made for budget sy
tenn, and the reichstag cannot raise tt
amount of the budget without reachin
an agreement with the council Imper
al postal and telegraphic rates will |
determined by the council and the raj
road systems viii be taken over by Il
empire and states. Private roads mu
be given over to the empire on deman
and the empire can coniscate railroa,
not vet taken over. In case. the defen
of the country requires the step, it h,
the power to take over the administr
tion of all water routes.
Judges of the ordinary civil cour
will be chosen for life. and cannot
removed except by judicial decisio
The age of retirement will be dete
mined later. Military courts are abb
ished, save in war time and on boa
warships, and state courts, which W
try those accused of political Grim,
will be created by imperial law.
The second main part provides tn
all Germans shall bs equal before t
law, and that men and women sh
have basically the same rights and 4
ties Preferential rights and drawbac
of birth and position are removed a
titles OF nobHlty are considered as or
part of a person s name. No more tit
will be conferred, and will be given OF
when they describe person s oeeuI
ton. Academic titles, however, "
still be awarded. No tokens of hor
nay aha given out by the goyernme
hi AND nosEffman may accept a title or ],
Z aes ffsRls@a foreign state
Postal, telegraph and telephone
crecy is guaranteed Every Germ
has the right to express his opini.
by written or spoken word, print
picture. There will be no censorsl
save for moving pictures for VIII
regulations will be made to suppr
Objectionable films for the protect
of youth.
Under the heading Community
Life the constitution declares Il
marriage constitutes the basis of fl
lily life and the salvation of the nat
and it. is therefore, under the spe,
protection of the constitution on
bases of equality of the sexes. 1t