THE RE-CREATION OF GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 7

THE RE-CREATION OF GERMANY

DRAFT CONSTITUTION OF NEW REPUBLIC ON ANGLO-AMERICAN MODEL SITUATION REACHING STABILITY l)y Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright London, December 23. Advices from Berlin state that lierr Preuss, Secretary of Stale for (ho Interior, assisted uy experts on international law, hae drafted the Constitution of the new (jc-rman liepublic. lie proposes that the Government should be Jionded by a President elected by tho people. Tho President's authority shall be intermediate between that of the American President and that of the King of England. The President will nominate the Cabinet, as in tho United States, instead of tho old Federal Council. Tho delegates from the various German States shall constitute a Second Chamber, resembling the. United States Senate, The President's Government will have- as much power as is reconcilable with tho independence of each individual State, including the control of the railways, tho Post, nnd Telegraphs, tho Customs, nnd tho Army. It is expected that fifteen States will make up a new Confederation, of, which the. area and boundaries will bo very different from thosio now existing.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn.

SCHEIDEMANN HOPEFUL. New York, December 2G. The Berlin correspondent of the United Press interviewed Herr Scheidemann, ■who said: "We are all heartily in accord with President AVilson's principles. I am convinced that a stable and constitutional Socialist Government in Germany will soon be established, and will Iμ able to deal with the Allies and the United States. The Spartacus movement is rapidly dying, and all disoiyJj.'s in Germany will shortly disappear."—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

SOVIET CONGRESSjNDS IN A RIOT LUDICROUS SCENES. (Rec. December 27, 7.35 p.m.) - Rotterdam, December 23. Tho Congress of Soldiers' and Workers' Councils at Berlin closed amid scenes of tumult and violence. Nobody knows how tho 460 delegates were elected. In the place of honour was tho Council of Six, with their innumerable secretaries and under-secretaries- Self-appointed Ministers quarrelled violently among themselves in public. Though, open war has thus been declared between the Majority Socialists and the Independent Socialists yet no member of the Government ha.s resigned, and Herr Lcdebquf scornfully- dismissed a proposal that both Socialist pn;rties should co-operato in electing the National Assembly.—Renter.

HERE LIEBKNECHT. Copenhagen, December ■ 23. Berlin reports state thnt Dr. Liebtoncht is suffering from oplitltnlmiit. He is lodged in tho Kaiser's Palace, sleeps in the Kaiser's bed, and uses the Royal box in the hull where the Soviet Congress meets.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE NAVAL MUTINEERS ATTACK ON THE "RED CASTLE." Berlin, December 20. Eight hundred sailors captured the Rod Castle, a former Royal residence, and arrested the military commander. The Berlin garrison and tho Republican Guard used machine-guns against tho castle. Tho balcony from winch the Kaiser made hie war speecli declaring "I have no party" was wrecked, and much damage was done.—Aus.-N.Z. Coble Assn. OTHER ACCOUNTS. London, December L'G. A section of the Berlin garrison joined the revolting sailors, and it is believed that there is a danger of the whole of the garrison revolting and leaving the flovernment without troops. A hundred were killed in the street fighting on Tuesday. Advices from Amsterdam state that the mutinous sailors in Berlin have surrendered, and Government troops have occupied the ex-Royal stables. Armed civilians assisted the sailors. According to a Copenhagen report, the Republican Guards repeatedly attempted to capture tho Royal stables, which were tho sailors' headquarters, but failed.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. New York, December 25. The United Press Copenhagen correspondent reports that, according to a' disfrom Berlin, civilians and troops have joined the mutinous sailors, and the position of the Government appears pre-carious.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asm. LATEST NEWS-CRISIS ACUTE. (Rec. December 27, 9.40 p.m.

Berlin, December 20. Riots caused the military commanders' decision to pay off the, naval reservists on duty at the Revolutionary Headquarters. Tlio Spartoctis forces have seized the War Ministry and the office of- the "Vor-waerts."—Ans.-N.Z. Cable Assn. (Kec. December 27, 10.'40 p.m.) Berlin, December 26. The disturbances have somewhat subsided. The soldiers and sailors declare that the .trouble is over.- The sailors remain in the city, but have evacuated the badly-battered palace. ]'!nch regiment in Berlin, together with sailors, selects deleRates. These form a committee, which appoints one of their number as supreme commander of the troops. The commander is responsible to tho People's Coun-cil.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.