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Show RULE OF MILITARY 1 IS LIKEIR01 REEL 1 German Democracy Subdued, but Fires of Revolt Are H Rising. mi KAISER IN QUANDARY 1 Only Personal Friendship for P Ruler Keeps Chancellor .Wa in Office. wm By FREDERICK WERNER. Special Cable to Tho Tribune. l BERLIN, Feb. 21. Political events of ijffl tho greatest importance aro bound to iffnll happen here within the next month or ijj'f two events which are to decide whether jlft the German empire Is to bo ruled by the VoX) 1 chosen representatives of the peoplo or jU by a clique of Prussian Junkers and army pajjl officers, jn The resignation of tho whole govern- ment of Alsace-Lorraine, headed by the jBjjl liberal-minded statthalter of the prov- mill inces. Count "Wedel, provoked a sudden ! tt if and unforeseen crisis which neither the mini kaiser nor his chancellor wnB prepared lltfllil to face, and, very much against their will, Wt they were forced to beg Count "Wedel to IJfU It remain In office for a few months more, 'fill until it has been duly considered whother llfjiil it be safe to throw down the gauntlet to '"nilli the South German states and the great lufll majority of the citizens of Prussia by i mUI a complete surrender to the reactionary ' fm demands of the Junkers and the army of- i 'Will fleers. ! I One Solution. At tho present time it Is Impossible to iHjll foretell what will happen, but it is not Jyulj ' at all unlikely that a solution may be :f.wj found by tho resignation of Chancellor j rail Bethmann-Hollweg and his subsequent jfwjj appointment to tho high office of stat- jfjllj thalter of Alsace-Lorraine. Tho greatest, IWH or in fact the only, difficulty in this case SIlHlj will bo to find a man capable and will- Ing to accept the burdens of the chancel- f flfy; j Iorshlp under tho present almost desper- mtSu 1 ate circumstances. Herr von Bethmann- fvM f Hollwcg, who only remains In office all'fil ' prompted, by his scnao of duty and his SlliBii personal friendship for the kaiser, would Mwfi gladly accept the position of governor of illfilli Alsace-Lorraine, and would probably give jjjjjn ' full satisfaction oven to the peoplo of llmll! that province; but the political air is so imu laden with uncertainty that a change of fljiaj chancellor would be like swapping horses !(! whllo crossing a stream. Military in Saddle.- 'Mil What Is certain, however, Is that the Uhljj conditions in Alsace-Lorraine are bound JiJJj to gTow worse. Tho Imperial government ijfjjjjj has not dared openly to face the opposl- ifjjj tlon of tho army, which has won, at least '(Ijul temporarily, a glorious victory all along $lsfn1 tho line. Tho only thing which is going j fOH to happen is a revision of the army regu- IfBi fi latlon of 1899, concerning tho right of tho Sfflli military to resort to the us of arms In Iliiil time of peace. This revision became an j fUgll absolute necessity when the south. Ger- j 3ajl man states declared that within their jjrflii boundaries the military was permitted to ; Mfffjl act only when requested to do .so by the InCi civil authorities; but it Is by no means 'mm excluded that It will be the other states ; 9 and not Prussia which may have to alter j jjjuj 1 their present rules In so far as thev con- iJlrtl cern troops temporarily stationed in Al- tun I sace-Lorralne. At any rate, no guaran- bJShSI tee has boon given that the civil authorl- mBSiE tleB of thoso provinces are to havo tho MiBflc right to decide when military Intorven- Mm ff tlon is needed. X Good Work Ruined. ffi8 That Count Wedel could not do any- ifinffi thing but sond in his resignation undor mm ffi these circumstances Is admitted by ev- jjjbJ S erybody: but the fact is generally dc- IpH plored, for ho was without doubt the best iljwf governor the provinces over had, and was HWiu! in a fair way to bring about a better un- nfflt derstandlng between the people there and if! Bp their German officials, whon tho Zaborn mirV affair ruined everything he had accom- wfi pllshed. The Zabern affair and its con- UK sequences have solidified the legislature 'MUg of tho provinces, and It will be a. very if Mil difficult body to handle. Mil U Events In tho two provinces have cat- mul B urally exerted a great Influence upon the n( fl relchstag, where the struggle between the 3 representatives of the people and army up Q will grow more bitter than over. Under iSmi'S tnese Circumsianteo iu dm iuo.iM.uiu IBtlfr tho Prussian reactionaries, too weak to w2lf accomplish anything single-handed, should Hfflg look about for allies and that tho presl- nil I dent of tho Prussian diet. Count Schwer- HwfU in-Lowits, would malce an attempt to form tjnfBI a strong coalition against the forces of dc- nml mocracy. It was his Idea that the cen- UffiH tor and tho National Liberal party should flBKf Join hands with the Conservative party flHM t und form a "Loyal Gorman league. His wSSfc sehome. however, met with an absolute jflKM ft frost, for tho National Liberals and the Il5l ? contor refused to help talso tho reac- ililjl tlonary chestnuts, out of the fire, because I JSlS to do such a thing would be to commit n MB M political hara-kiri. 3 |