Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-10-01

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but all Europe and, to certain ex-
tent, the United States, are inter
ested in the government which, IN
that country, has taken the place OF
the old autocracy with the "Divine
Right" Kaiser at it's head. That gov
ernment is functioning under a new
constitution, which the German peo-
pie have established by popular vote.
The following statement of the salient
features of that instrument should
therefore be not only instructive but
interesting to our readers.
The charter and purpose of the new
German constitution are thus set forth
in it's first article: "The German En-
pire is a Republic The power of the
State is derived from the people"
This excludes "Divine Right" and
favored class. Some of the old terms
are retained, but this new meaning
is distinctly stated. 1t may be little
difficult at first for outsiders to con-
ceive of an empire without an en-
peror, but it brings no confusion to
the Germans who made the constltu-
ton and are forming the government
under it. In some respects this gov
ernment resembles that of the United
States; in others, that of France; and
in all respects it is adapted to the
peculiar conditions in Germany.
Thus, it's separate states are called
"Laender" "a geographical rather
than political term, and best rendered
in English by the word Territories"
These Territories may be altered or
combined, through action of the peo
ple-possibly provision for the ulti-
mate subdivision of Prussia, which
now includes nearly half of the empire
AS in all governments, three
branches are provided the legisla-
tive, or law-making; the judicial, or
law-interpreting; and the executive,
or law-administering. The law-mak-
ing body is like our Congress; COM
posed of two houses-the Diet, elected
by poular vote, and the Council, ap-
pointed by the governments Of the
Territories, as is our Senate by the
States. Every Territory must have
at least one member of the Council,
and an additional member for each
million inhabitants. The judicial
authority is mostly lodged in the
courts of the Territories, though there
is a kind of national court of appeals.
The executive power is vested, not in
the president, as in the United States,
but in a chancellor and ministers,
who are responsible to the Diet. The
president names the chancellor and
he appoints the ministers, but all
must be confirmed by the Diet. 1t is
as if our presidents cabinet needed
to be approved by the House of Rep
resentatives, and then performed the
executive functions, leaving the pres
ident, as in France, or as the king in
Great Britain, sort of figurehead
to represent the government to for
eign nations.
There is a great deal of Concur
rent" administration between the En-
pire and the Territories, analogous to
that provided in this Country by the
prohibition amendment to the Con-
stitution. On the whole, there is little
of what we term estate rights"
which indeed are notably diminishing
in the government of the United
States.
Our readers, however, are doubt
less, less interested in the machinery
of the new constitution than in it's
secuNty of personal rights to the in
dividual. and its provisions for estab-
fishing freedom and destroying au-
tocracy. For one thing, it provides
that any titles now held shall be re-
garded as a part of the name and
that no titles shall be inherited or
hereafter granted, except educational
and professional titles, such as A. B.,
A. NJ, and M. D. This will make an
end of dukes, lords, counts, barons,
etc. There will be no
distinction of nobility and common
people, but, as in the United States,
all will be plain Mr.-in German,
Herr.
The Diet has the power to impeach
the president. 1t also can take the
initiative of removing him from Of
fee through a referendum to the peo-
ple-but if the referendum fails, the
Diet itself is dissolved and a new
election must take place. The Diet
must meet once a year, and special
sessions are called not by the presi-
dent but through a petition of one
third of the members. The Diet has
power to appoint two standing COM
mitees of inquiry and investigation.
One is on foreign affairs and the other
is to guard the rights of the peoples !