The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-15
TRAFFIC IN TITLES
 SOCIALIST CHARGE

Berlin, June 15.-Karl Liebknecht, the Socialist leader and member of the Reichstag whose revelations last year resulted in the conviction or a number of Krupp officials and army officers of bribery, has again unearth- ed affairs that are engaging the~ at tention of the prosecuting attorney and seem likely to result in criminal prosecutions
 Liebknecht charges and supports his charges with strong evidence thata tra.fhcking in titles on a com mission basis is carried on in Prussia, and that certain titles are, or were, up to two years ago. granted for mon ey onsiderations. The minister of education has made a public denial of the latter part of the accusations, de- claring that titles, or at least, that of professor. are not-to be had for mon ey. He has. however. directed an fn- veSdgation of the other charges, and 1t is now under way.
 Liebknecnt tried to make Shis dis closures at the conclusion of his speech in the Reichstag on the arm a-ments trust, but was ruled out of order by the speaker. Two or three days later he published the first in- stalment of his charges in Vorwaerts, the central organ of the Socialist par ty. Tt had to do with the late General von Lndenau, one of the most dis- unguished military men in the em- pire. Won Lindenau was for g. long time chief of the Great General Staff: he was appointed governor of Metz shortly before his death, and 1t is de- clared that he might have become Prusstan war minister had he lived. He enjoyed the especial confidence and esteem of the Emperor.
 Ldebknecht published extracts from official documents showing that the general left debts exceeding $25O,O 900 vnvae eaf,S-,v IIwr 4r,Ir published a copy of a letter from the general to a. certain physician, acknowledging the receipt of a large sum of money, ito be repaid in case you do not receive the title of pro lessor within one year. Tn a fur ther article, Liebknecht declared flatly that von Lindenau had for years dealt in orders and titles
 The non-Socialist press found it i'm posE ble to deny the probative force of Ldebknecht's documents, but declared that the case was "a solitary, sad i'm stance" Thereupon Liebknecht pub hshed a facsimile of a, letter from a certain pr. Ludwig to an unnamed physician dealing with the obtaining of the title of professor for the lat ter. In this letter. written more than two years ago, Ludwig declared that the matter was dif1cult and expensive the cost being higher for foreigners than for Germans, higher for Jews than for Gentiles.'' '' The following conditions. he said, must be observed: ::
 s(1) You must, in order to observe the proprieties, submit a printed treat fse. This need not be exhaustive it is only a matter of form. For ex- ample, you publish an article in a scientific magazine and then have copies printed of it as a. monograph. or you can have printed an article written. especially for this purpose. ie r,F it can be said that you have pub Hshed some scientific article. s'C2) In certain quarter you will pay s1O, 900, and $375 as commission. 2
 Liebknecht followed this article up with two other letters of Ludwig's, one of professor, the other that of court dentist. The former, Ludwig wrote, involved meeting Thigh financial de- mands.'' The latter would cost from
 The disclosures, painful enough in themselves to the average German, are especially painful to all non-So- cialists. for not only do they come from a. Socialist, but pr. Ludwig is vice president of the Imperial Asso- Socialists naturally display no very lively sorrow about the unmasking of one of their chief enemies.
 Liebkneeht also charges that in 1912, persons hungering for the title of professor were taken to the royal palace and received by a trusted hnan- ciaI official of the empress, through whom all dealings took place. This official, he says, is no longer in ser vice.
 Liebknecht also publishes what he calls ''the title and orders tariff. It puts the price of the Red Eagle, fourth class, at $2.0OO for academicians and $3,0O0 for others; commercial coun- cillor, SIP, 300, provided the applica- ton goes through the regular chan nels, $15,0OO if the matter is expe- dited; $8.750 for appointment as .spurveyor to the, emperor" and $75,- 900 to $10O,00O for elevation to the nobility in Prussia. In Coburg, he says, the price is only $62, 800. Lieb- knecht does not support this, list with any evidence, and it is probably fan Ia sir