DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: A supplementary question (great merriment). Is it
known to the Imperial Chancellor that according to a remark made on Dec.
5, 1914, by the _former neutral Italian Prime Minister Giolitti_,
_Austria planned as early as 1913 an attack against Serbia_ (_Italics S.
Z._) (Great indignation and shouts.)
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: This is a new question. We will proceed to your
next question.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: According to paragraph 31 of our order of business I
have asked the floor to supplement my former question.
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: You have already asked two supplementary
questions.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: The order of business does not limit me to any
definite number. Amid great commotion in the House Dr. Liebknecht reads
another supplementary question: "Why did the Imperial Chancellor conceal
from the Reichstag earlier and at the meeting of August 4, 1914, the
Belgium Ultimatum?"
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: This also is not a supplementary question, but a
new question. Do you have another supplementary question? Now we come to
your next question.
THIRD QUESTION
III (a) Is it known to the Government that the mass of German people
demand for themselves the right to decide about the external policy of
Germany, that they demand _abolition of secret diplomacy in favor of
permanent public control of foreign policy and its general
democratization_? (_Italics, S. Z._)
(b) Is the Government prepared to bring in the course of the present
session of the Reichstag a bill which will fulfill the demand above
mentioned and submit the decisions on questions of war and peace to the
people's representatives?
MINISTER OF EXTERIOR V. JAGOW: The Government is _not willing_
(_Italics, S. Z._) to correspond with the wishes of Dr. Liebknecht and
to propose such a change in the Constitution. With this answer the rest
of the question is also answered.
FOURTH QUESTION
Does the Government know in what economic distress the masses of the
German people labor on account of the war and on account of the desire
in capitalistic circles for profits and the impotence of the Government
in dealing with the situation? Is the Government now ready to check this
economic distress by improving the general welfare without further delay
and by putting aside all special interests, and taking the necessary
steps to provide for the population the necessary means of living (food,
clothing, shelter, heat and light); especially by regulating production
according to the general welfare? And by commandeering products and by
the uniform distribution of foodstuffs in such a way that the needy may
get sufficient food free or at low cost?
MINISTER DIRECTOR DR. LEWALD: The Imperial Chancellor declines to answer
the question.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: A supplementary question (great merriment). Does the
Government recognize that according to experiments up to this time
general commandeering of products....
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: This is not a supplementary question but a new
question.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: I ask the floor for another supplementary question
(great commotion and merriment). Will the Government put into operation
as soon as possible the decisions of the Budget Commission in line with
these demands?
MINISTER DIRECTOR LEWALD: In the name of the Imperial Chancellor I
refuse to answer this supplementary question.
FIFTH QUESTION
(a) What meaning does the Government ascribe to the expression "new
internal political orientation?" (_Neuorientierung der inneren
Politik._)
(b) Does the Government have a concrete program concerning this new
internal political orientation?
(c) What is this program in detail?
(d) When does the Government intend to effect this program?
(e) Does the Government intend during the present session or later to
introduce the reforms necessary to the democratization of the
constitution, democratization of the legislative powers and
democratization of the administration of the German Empire and the
states which compose the Empire? Particularly will the Government reform
the franchise laws governing the legislative and administrative bodies
and democratization of the constitution of the army?
MINISTER DIRECTOR LEWALD: The Imperial Chancellor refuses to answer this
question also.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: A supplementary question. (Great commotion.) What is
the stand of the Government on the Prussian Franchise Reform? (Great
merriment at the right side of the House.) This is a question which is
of importance to the entire German people. That is the way Government
and Reichstag treat with the life and death problems of the German
people. The people will know now where they stand! (Continued
commotion.)
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: This is not a supplementary question, but a new
question. With that we are finished with the short questions.
Reichstag meeting January 11, 1916, 2 P. M. At the table of the
Federal Council are present: Ministers Helfferich and Delbrueck.
The first order of business: _Questions_ by Member DR. K.
LIEBKNECHT.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT reads his first question:
"Is it known to the Imperial Chancellor that during the present war in
the United Turkish Empire the Armenian people were driven from their
homes and slaughtered by the hundred thousands? What negotiations has
the Imperial Chancellor undertaken with the United Turkish Government in
order to bring about the necessary punishment, to alleviate the
situation of the rest of the Armenian population in Turkey and to make
the repetition of such horrors impossible?
To answer this question the floor is given to:
PRIVY COUNCIL FRHR. V. STUMM: It is known to the Imperial Chancellor
that inflammatory demonstrations took place in Armenia on account of
which the Turkish Government was forced to deport the Armenian
population of certain districts and to assign them new living places.
About the reaction on the population taking place on account of these
measures an exchange of ideas between us and the Turkish Government is
now occurring. More details cannot be communicated.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: A supplementary question. Is it known to the Imperial
Chancellor that Professor Lepsius spoke of an absolute extermination of
the Armenians and that for these horrors the Christian population of
Turkey considers the German Government responsible?
At this point great uproar broke out in the House and made it impossible
for Dr. Liebknecht to finish his questions.
Shouts from the House: This is a new question! Finish!
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: This is a new question for which I cannot give the
floor.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: Mr. President, before you have heard the whole
question, you are not in a position to judge (laughter in the House) if
it is a new question or not. At any rate I wish to assert that the
President reached this conclusion that it is a new question not from his
own impulses (shouts in the House: _Oho!_) but because from parts of the
House it was called to his attention.
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: I ask you not to criticize the way I preside
(applause). We come now to the following question:
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: Will the Government be ready very soon to place
before the Reichstag for action data concerning the situation of the
population in the territory occupied by Germany? Further data concerning
the measures taken for the people in the occupied territory, concerning
the means of living, (food, clothing, shelter), concerning their health
condition, their rights, their numbers? Then data concerning the kind
and reason of the punishments decreed and reprisal measures taken
against the people in this territory by the German authorities, the
number of people executed, military requisitions of property and methods
followed in such operations? And the extent of the contributions levied
upon them, especially on the Belgian people?"
To answer these questions the floor is given to:
MINISTER DIRECTOR LEWALD: The Imperial Chancellor declines to put
before the Reichstag the material desired by Dr. Liebknecht. But he will
give information about the activities of the civil authorities in the
occupied territory on the request of the committee of the Reichstag.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: A supplementary question. How many places and
buildings were destroyed by the German authorities since the beginning
of the war for the purpose of reprisal--how many persons were arrested
and killed for the same purpose?
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: This is a new question. It is ruled out of order.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT reads the _third question_: Is the Government ready to
lay before the Reichstag without delay material concerning
(a) Measures taken by the German military and civic authorities on the
basis of the _state of martial law_ for the suppression of the right of
assemblage and of personal liberty (prohibiting meetings, dissolving
societies, interference in private correspondence, arrests, searching of
homes, etc.), particularly the number of those put in military and
police (_cachot_) arrest without trial, during the war? Also the reason
for and length of these arrests?
(b) The number, extent and causes of punishments inflicted during the
war upon members of the army and also the number of convicts in the
military prisons since the beginning of the war?
MINISTER DIRECTOR LEWALD: The Imperial Chancellor declines to put before
the Reichstag the material asked by Dr. Liebknecht. (Dr. Liebknecht
shouts: That also is very characteristic.)
PRESIDENT DR. KAEMPF: This word of Dr. Liebknecht is ruled out of order
as not permissible.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: A supplementary question. Does the Imperial
Chancellor know that in Germany the Military Authorities and Police
Authorities have established nearly everywhere dark chambers (laughter),
in which places the correspondence of people who are politically
disagreeable, among whom are Deputies of the Reichstag or Assembly, is
opened secretly?... (Great uproar. The bell of the President!)
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: I wish to protest against this autocratic suppression
of the order of business by the President and Reichstag.
This finishes Liebknecht's questions.
LIEBKNECHT EXPELLED FROM THE SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC PARTY
On January 13, 1916, by a vote of sixty to twenty-five, the Socialist
Central Committee expelled Dr. Karl Liebknecht from membership in the
Socialist Party for continuous "gross infractions of party discipline."
The majority Social-Democrats took that measure against Liebknecht for
having greatly embarrassed the Government with his questions two days
before in the Reichstag.
REICHSTAG DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CENSORSHIP
_January 19, 1916_
LIEBKNECHT was unable to obtain the floor at the general discussion. In
a personal remark after the discussion was closed he made the following
characteristic remarks:
"Repeatedly members of this House told me that I work in the service of
the enemy, that I am a traitor. ("Very true," from the left side of the
House.) I wish to answer this by saying that I prefer being insulted by
you as a traitor or anything else, to being praised for speaking
according to your taste, as some members of the Social-Democratic group
of this House have done lately (merriment). Gentlemen, by your attitude
you show me that you wish to suppress truth and right."
JUSTICE IN GERMANY IN WAR TIME
Twentieth Meeting of the Assembly, Friday, March 3, 1916, 11
o'clock morning session.
On the Ministerial Bench: Freiherr v. Schorlemer, v. Loebell and
Beseler.
The order of the day: Continuation of the discussion on second reading
of the budget of the Department of Justice.
Taking part in the discussion: Assemblymen: Delbrueck (Conservative),
Reinhard (Centrum), Minister of Justice Beseler, Assemblymen Liepmann
(National Liberal), Kanzow (Progressive Peoples Party), Nissen (Dane),
v. Trampczynski (Pole) and Dr. K. Liebknecht.
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: It must be regretted that we have no statistics
concerning certain social phenomena which mirror justice under war
conditions of to-day. Thus there are lacking statistics of the number of
bankrupts, whose places of business could not be opened on account of
lack of actual supplies; statistics concerning evictions; concerning
suits against stores which sell on credit; statistics concerning firms
which have gone out of business and statistics concerning business
events and corporations registrations, from which it might have been
possible to see to what colossal degree small concerns have been ruined
by the war. There is no information concerning the shiftings on the
real-estate market; concerning new societies formed specially for the
purpose of exacting high interest from the people. Again, we have no
accurate information as to what proportion of existing societies
increased their capital,--some of whose increases went high into the
millions. ("Hear, hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.) Statistics of the war
measures would show that they are nothing but patchwork, and that
economic war-damages can be prevented only when we strike at the root of
capitalism. The war-necessity measures are sufficient only to prevent
the population from resorting, as best they can, against frightful
economic injuries. ("Very true!" from the Soc.-Dem.) Such statistics
would give us an X-ray of the terrific injury and destruction which the
war has caused and continually causes the economic body of capitalism;
an X-ray picture of the capitalistic elephantiasis which the war has
brought into being (laughter from the right side of the House) in most
branches of big business, and a picture of the tearing apart of the
middle class and the accelerated proletarization of the masses. ("Very
true!" from the Soc.-Dem.) Such a picture would show us the truth of the
well-known phrase: "Socialism whither we are tending." The extent of
crime is not indicated, only by cases brought to court. There exists
to-day surely a greater divergence than ever before between real
criminality and that brought before justice. With reference to the
crimes which come to justice statistics are lacking, and apart from
that, the accused is kept secretly hidden from the population, first by
the tendency, increasing more and more, to exclude the public from
trials and then by the censor,--which makes it impossible for the public
to get a clear picture of criminal justice. Thus the _Vorwaerts_ is
forbidden to report without permission of the censor anything concerning
arrests made ("Hear, hear!" by the Soc.-Dem.). To report political
matters which could cause excitement is absolutely forbidden to the
_Vorwaerts_. Thus a while ago the _Vorwaerts_ could not write a syllable
of the imminent discharge from prison of Madame Dr. Rosa Luxemburg
("Hear, hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.), and could only, later on, report the
resulting discharge. It seems that the authorities were conscious of the
fact that the announcement of her imminent discharge would bring out a
great mass of the population to express their sympathies for Madame Dr.
Luxemburg. In spite of the prohibiting order of the censor there were,
as is known, a great number of men and women who received and welcomed
Madame Luxemburg. Further it was reported that March 22nd was the date
fixed for the trial against the _Internationale_ magazine (Rosa
Luxemburg and Franz Mehring endeavored to publish in Germany a Socialist
monthly under the title of _The International_, to voice the views of
the Anti-War section of the German Social-Democratic Party. The
magazine was suppressed and the editors jailed. _S. Z._), in which Rosa
Luxemburg, Clara Zetkin and Franz Mehring were accused. Of that also the
_Vorwaerts_ could not mention a single syllable. ("Hear, hear!" from the
Soc.-Dem.)
Furthermore, it has become a rule of the censor that no report is
permitted of trials which refer in any way to peace demonstrations and
to riots on account of lack of food, so that the population shall not
get an idea in what numbers such trials are taking place. Statistics in
regard to sentences imposed on account of frauds involving military
supplies would be important,--which are happening very often; statistics
in regard to sentences on account of bribery in order to obtain
contracts for military supplies, offenses which flourished especially at
the beginning of the war. Of great value would be statistics in regard
to cases in which the state interfered on account of furnishing war
material to enemy states. As you know, in the period of the war, a
semi-official warning was issued against the inclination in big business
circles even during the war to furnish the enemy war material in a
roundabout way through the neutral states. ("Hear, hear!" from the
Soc.-Dem.) The official notification accentuated the fact that this
roundabout subterfuge through neutral countries is so plain that there
cannot be any doubt that the capitalistic circles concerned were
entirely conscious of the far-reaching effect of their action. ("Hear,
hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.) A very noted senator in Luebeck (Luebeck is one
of three German Republics, _S. Z._), for instance, has been for a long
time under arrest for treason, because he put his Swedish copper mines
at the disposition of the Russians. ("Hear, hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.)
These cases must have increased, otherwise the official warning would be
unexplainable. You know how international business is related,
especially Big Business. The kinship exists, even if in changed form,
and naturally continues even now. You know that this kinship, especially
in the field of the armament industry,--(bell of the President).
ASSEMBLYMAN ADOLF HOFFMAN: "Now comes the holy of holies!"
VICE-PRESIDENT DR. KRAUSE: "I cannot see what that has to do with the
administration of justice and its responsibilities. We cannot now go
into a discussion of the censor and the capitalistic mischief, as you
call it."
DR. K. LIEBKNECHT: I demand statistics which will show in how many cases
indictments were brought on account of such offenses. When in this
connection I point out the international kinship of capitalism, in war
contracts supplying German cannons to foreign countries, I believe I am
speaking to the point which is now open for discussion. In reality
German soldiers were shot by Krupp cannon which were furnished to
foreign countries. (Most of the Belgium cannons were Krupp cannons. _S.
Z._) (Lively "Hear, hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.)
VICE-PRESIDENT DR. KRAUSE: "The connection of this with the Department
of Justice is difficult for any logically-thinking man to find. I call
you to the question." ("Bravo!" at the right side of the House.)
ASSEMBLYMAN DR. LIEBKNECHT: We are also without comprehensive statistics
in regard to the inmates of our prisons. We obtained in Committee only a
few communications, according to which the number of inmates of the
prisons of the Department of Justice had diminished, in so far as the
men are concerned, but the number of sentences imposed on women
increased. ("Hear, hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.) Later it was communicated
to us that in the prisons of our Department of Justice there are an
extraordinary number of sentenced soldiers, whom the authorities had to
take there, because the military and fort prisons are entirely
overfilled. ("Hear, hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.) In the Prisons of the
Prussian Department of Justice there are at present 5000 prisoners. And
prisons which are under the control of the Minister of the Interior are
certainly being strongly demanded by military prisoners. It is a fact,
however, in very many cases, that sentenced soldiers are not entering
upon their sentences immediately, but are serving in the army. The
decrease in the number of prison inmates can also for the greatest part
be attributed to the pardons granted. In many cases it was decided, that
even without granting a pardon there should be a postponement in the
execution of the sentence, even an interruption in the fulfillment of
the sentence, in order that the soldiers concerned could be brought to
the barracks or into the trenches. ("Hear, hear!" from the Soc.-Dem.)
Referring to the question of the release of prisoners, the ex-convict in
the army was discussed in Committee. According to my experience, it is
in war that the ex-convicts, those who were ostracized in civil life,
have particularly shown, in the most excellent way, the qualities of
human fellowship. But the danger must not be overlooked. It consists in
this--that people of criminal inclination, whose temptations are greater
in the dangers which are facing them, are in the army in great numbers.
("Very true!" from the Soc.-Dem.) Our great responsibility towards the
defenseless population in the occupied territories must therefore give
us special concern. German papers commented bitterly when prisons were
opened in foreign countries in order that the inhabitants could enter
the army. But to a certain degree that happened also here in Germany. I
do not want to assert that the majority of excesses which happened in
the occupied territories against the civil population, the cruelties
which carry a special personal stamp, and which surpass the real war
cruelties, are committed particularly by discharged convicts--at all
events the question deserves special attention. It is important to note,
further, that our civil justice takes in to-day only a very small part
of the male population, as those who are called to the colors are under
the jurisdiction of the courts martial. There are courts martial also
for the civil population, as you know, especially in the provinces of
the frontier. Statistics are also lacking as to the doings of these
military courts. From the decrease of prisoners we cannot draw a
favorable conclusion as to the criminality of to-day. The source of
crime flows without interruption. The entire activity of justice is a
circulus vitiosus, a faulty short conclusion. Neglect leads to crime,
penalty to the increase of social weakness, to demoralization, to new
crime, new sentence and so on. Crime is a constitutional disease of
bourgeois society. (Laughter at the right side of the House.) What is
the condition at the roots of crimes during war? The first root is the
strengthening of the social causes of crime, the distress of the
population, the increase in the cost of living, the ruin of the family.
In order to examine the social roots of war criminality, the report of
the Trade Council Inspectors would be important--which unfortunately we
do not receive during the war. But by banishing these facts in a dark
chamber, they are not kept from the world. When the material in regard
to the secret social history of the war will finally be presented,
humanity will be terrified at the horrors which have shown themselves.
("Very true!" from the Soc.-Dem.)
I come now to the second root of war criminality. Mr. Kanzow
(Assemblyman of the Progressive People's Party) called Right one of the
holiest gods of the people. To-day Right is in a state of siege. How is
the principle of Right compatible with the principle of Might; how can
the idea of Right live in the atmosphere of war psychology, which means
a destruction of the fundamentals of all that is right? The conception:
"Might goes before Right," "Necessity Knows no Law," must pull down all
safeguards of law. ("Very true!" from the Soc.-Dem.) The question as to
how the Ten Commandments stand to-day we hardly need to open. ("Very
true!" from the Soc.-Dem.) To-day it is not: "Love thy neighbor," but
kill thy neighbor! (The bell of the President.)
VICE-PRESIDENT DR. KRAUSE: By such method you could throw the entire
world into the circle of your examination. ("Very true," and laughter at
the right side of the House.)
ASSEMBLYMAN ADOLF HOFFMAN (Soc.-Dem.): "Justice has nothing to do with
right!"