[13] Art. 10.—The earlier drafts formulated such principles as an integral part of the Constitution.
[14] Art. 17.—What a "free State" Constitution means was not defined by the authors of the Constitution. Its opponents argued that it might admit of a monarchist restoration in Prussia, but this has since been barred constitutionally by the provision that the Reich is a Republic (Art. 1).
[15] The first draft established a single chamber legislation in the Lands.
[16] This sentence was added apparently to bar the setting up of further unparliamentary Räte republics in opposition to the Chambers, as in Bavaria, Brunswick, etc.
[17] This residential qualification was added to meet objections that otherwise Landtag elections might be influenced by an influx of outside voters.
[18] Art. 18.—This, the most contentious article in the Constitution, embodies the concessions made by the centralising purists—its authors—to the federalising particularists—its critics. The history of its phases has been given above, see p. 243. Its form in the first draft follows:—
"It is open to the German people to establish new Free States within the Realm, irrespective of the previous frontiers, in so far as the racial character of the population, economic conditions, and historical traditions favour their formation. Such new Free States should have at least two million inhabitants.
"The union of two or more constituent States into a new Free State is effected by governmental convention between them, subject to the approval of the Legislatures and the Government of the Realm.
"If the population of a district wish to secede from their allegiance and join one or more German Free States, or form a Free State, a plebiscite is necessary. The plebiscite will be initiated by the Government of the Land or of one or more autonomous bodies comprising at least a quarter of the population concerned. It will be instituted by the Government of the Realm and enforced by the local authority."
The general effect of the Constitution combined with present political conditions is that there will be no change of any importance in the composition of the countries constituting the Realm. See also Art. 167 suspending operation of pars. 3 to 6 of this article for two years.