THE KAISER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 397, 5 January 1909, Page 5

THE KAISER.

1 EMERGES FROM HIS SECLUSION. (BY TBIIGaiSU— PBEOB. ASSOCUTIONT-COSTmOHT.I • •.-.- •'■:'"'• .■■■'■• •'.•..■:•: Berlin; January,3.;The Kaiser e'mergedfrbm his seclusion and gave his. usual New Year's receptidh in Berlin, 1 '" ",■.' ■'■■'. ;■''■■■ ''. : ■'. ■ ■-.. ■ ■ .GERMAN CONSTITUTION. , : ,' POWEESOF'-KAISEB AND -REICHSTAG. Writing of the struggle' in Germany for constitutional- reform—which led up to the Kaiser's protracted ' retirement, from '■'■ the public gaze—the "Independent" . says;— "For two days Premier von Bujow sat in the Reichstag, and listened, with head bowed, to the unanimous demand that the Kaiser must act as a constitutional monaroh, guided :by the Cabinet, and'must restrain his exuberant ■ in-, dependence. '' And now■• the > Couuoil of ; the Empire is .'called for the first time since-Wil-liam was crowned, to curb -his rash intermeddling ■ with what ought to be:the business of'the Chancellor or the Eeichetag. . ■ . - - . "But for .the. humiliation of the Emperor, for' scenes'.like, those for two days, in,-:.the' ;Eeiohstag, when no'voice of all the parties was -raised to defend him, when words were freely uttered. that' might have sent men to prison .and no one'calledvto order, when even von Buelow was mute,: or rose but to eay that if: the Emporor did not restrain his , utterances on foreign affairs' neither ; he. nor any,.other ■ Chancellor could consent to hold office—for all this the constitution, of. the .German!, Emire, created by Bismarck with the,Empiro at Versailles in April, 1871, is to blamoj-for the Emperor, under that constitution, is' not-respon-sible to the. Chancellor, nor the Chancellor to' the Eeichstag and the : people. : The one restraint put; on. the acts of''the Emperor ie-that all his aets'-in foreign nffairs.must be:countersigned by tho Chancellor.-;\Bufc the Chancellor is not elected by the Eeichstag,: nor is. he responsible to it. He isiappointed by, the Em- -, ■peror,'serves at. his will; and if .the Eeichstag should'vote lack of confidence in him, that would mako no difference so long as he carries out the. will of the Emporor. ,He would not resign". If the Eeiehstag ■ should refuse to vote money for tho armyi as has sometimes been the case, then the Eeichstag is dissolved, and a: more pliable one is elected. :■■ The, constitution allowed oyi Bismarck: is infinitely below the demands .made by the people, in 1818, and they have,waited-sixty years to. be..ready,.,to get the substance, if.not^ the form, of what, they sought in .the revolutions of 'that.'date.','; '■}':' . . ■'■ "Now,- 'the, publication of the' interview.'in 'The Telegraph , ' was 'an international act. It .was not'countersigned by'the Chancellor. It' was:a ■public proclamation.'of international .policy, Supported -by- historical evidence, -the ' purpose .being to '.' placate , -' the .British •. people';; The Emperor-had..no , business to .make suoh a .statement'.in. the .form: of /an interview. ;It should, if made, have been a'forrrial proclamation, ; first, carefully, considered by the Cabinet, , and then'have , ,Von: BulowV signature 'as .well 'as ..that-'df/'the Emperor.'.'-What' the ,1 German people , iear, impulsive ■.(Emperor. :: nVay ■'- haw' m_ade'.''^' l %ultitude : ' of-' such vinter-; 'views unpulilisTie'd,"-tt'liicbV''are''iri. tH'e archives' of--foreign 1 -chancelleries;' '■'and -'that : he?,'might .make '.as' m'any.. more,' thus.iin "a A way' com-imitting'-.thel Empire, to assurances for whioh it' could, not /bei responsible. ■ , . ■- :■■ ■ '■<-'.■,.):■ '■■ . "So the Emperor; has been' roundly reproved byvthe; whole.'nation, and is to be restrained in future,, It hag amazed him, and he is silent for-ohqe in,his life;, He,had thought;that.the royal preroijaUys was final; he learns it is not, that the times, hayo charifjecl, and that the people will rule,' not'.'tho Emperor. 'He can only administer, henceforth, what the people's will.has doolared.- This lesson:he must, learn; he;cannot help himself." ■'"■'■' . ' ■...■':'.,';'"