The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-23
GERMANY ADOPTS
NEW CONSTITUTION
President to Be Elected by Entire
PeopIe-Recognized Rules Of In
ternational Law are Binding.

Ntth, SldltS llldl lilt ItCOS-
nized rules of International law will !
be held as binding on the empire |
The empire will have exclusive legis- |
lative rights governing foreign ar
fairs, colonies, citizenship, immigra- !
ton, defense, coinage, customs, posts, !
telegraphs, and long distance tele-
phones, repopulation, motherhood |
children, youth, health. labor, insur-
ance, protection to laborers and EN-
ployes, confscation, care OF wounded
soldiers and their relatives, socialiZ-
alton OF national resources, economic
undertakings. manufacture, distribu-
ton, price fixing. economic produc
ton, trade weights and measures, the
issuance of paper money, food, lux
ury, articles OF industry, mines, insur
ance, the mercantile lJarine, control
OF lake and coast fisheries, railroads.
automobile traffic, transportation by
land. water and air, road construction
and theaters.
Individual states will have legisla-
tive rights, but the imperial law will
supersede those OF individual states.
Each state must have liberal con
stitution, with legislature elected
by general, equal and select ballot by
all Germans. men and women.
The constitution lays down rules
for altering the empire territorially
providing that the plebiscites shall be
held in districts affected
The reichstag supersedes the TEN.
porary national assembly. II 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
a term or seven years. He will rep
resent the empire under information
al law, will make treaties and &C
credit diplomatists. Declarations o.
war or peace must be proclaimed by
the imperial reichstag, and treaties
with foreign states must be accepted
by the reichstag. The President. as
commander-in-chief of the empire
can employ armed forces for quelling
disturbances, or may send them
against states which do not fulfill
their duties, but in doing so must no
tify the reichstag, which is given the
power OF veto. The Presidents or
| ders must be countersigned by a
chancellor or the imperial minister
whose department is affected. He
has the right to pardon criminals
but the granting of amnesty must be
voted by the reichstag.
The chancellor will occupy a posi-
ton analogous to that OF vice-presi
dent. He and the rest of the minis
try will be appointed by the Presi
dent. The chancellor will determine
the empires foreign policy bear
responsibility for the cabinet and in
case of tie vote in the ministry
will have the deciding ballot.
The imperial council will be com
posed of representatives OF individual
states which win have at least one
vote apiece. The votes OF the largei
states will be based on population. be
ing fixed op the number of millions OF
! inhabitants within their borders. n
state can have more than two-tfth'
OF the total number OF votes in the
council Half OF Prussia's votes must
come from provincial administrations
Provision is made for budget sys
TEN, and the reichstag cannot raj"
the amount OF the budget without
reaching an agreement with the coun
I'll. IIlDCIldi pObkdi anu ltttkl PlliN
rates will be determined by the coun
ell and the railroad systems will be
taken over by the empire and states
Private roads must be given over to
the empire ON demand. and the EN-
pire can confiscate railroads not We
taken over. In case the defense of
| the country requires the step, il ha
the power TO take over the admins
tration OF all water routes.
Judges of the ordinary civil eonr
will be chosen for life. and cannot
be removed except by judicial decis
ion. The age of retirement will be
determined later. Military courts ar
abolished. save in war time and on
board warships, and state courts
which will try those accused of poll
tical crimes, will be created by inn
perial law.
The second main part provides that
all Germans shall be equal before the
law, and that men and women shall
have basically the same rights and du
ties. Preferential rights and draw
backs of birth and position are re
moved and titles OF nobility are con
sidered as only part OF PERSONS
name. No more titles will be confer
red, and will be given only when they
describe a PERSONS occupation
Academic titles, however, will still be
awarded. No tokens of honor may be
given out by the government and no
German may accept title or order
from foreign state.
Postal. telegraph and telephone Sc
crecy Is guaranteed Every German
has the right to express his opinion
by written or spoken word print or
picture. There will be no censorship
save for moving pictures for which
regulations will be made to suppress
Objectionable films for the protection
OF youth.
Under the heading Community of
Life the constitution declares that
marriage constitutes the basis Of fam
lily life and the salvation OF the ma
tion and it is therefore. under the
special protection of the constitution
on the bases of equality OF the sexes.
1t is pointed out that it is the duty of
the state to keep pure and healthy |
the family life and that families with |
several children have the right to
necessary care. Motherhood it is de- |
clared, has a prior claim to the pro-
lection OF the state. Legitimate chill !
dren shall be placed under the same |
bodily, spiritual and social conditions
as legitimate ones. and youth must
,