Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11
GERMAN ARMY VICTORY
SURE TO BRING CRISIS
Serious Aftermath Coming Follow
ing Acquittal of Officers in
Zabern Affair.
Parties Lining Up to Demand Consti'
tutional Principles and Multi
fcation of Decree.

BERLIN. January 10.-The acquittal
OF Col. Won Reuter-, Lieut.. Schad and
Lieut.. Baron Won Forstner at Strass-
burg OF all charges in connection with
the Zabern affair is apparently VIC
tory Tor the army all along the line. 1t
Is already evident. however. that there
VIII be a serious aftermath, and a
crisis graver than that in December is
predicted
me court-martial in the case of Won
Reuter- upheld the validity of the almost
forgotten decree of 1920. authorizing the
fnlhtary commander to assume control
whenever in his judgment it was neces-
sary and approved acts which the impe-
rial chancellor. DR.. Won Bethmann-Holl-
Wog. in December, declared to be unques-
tionab1y Illegal.
The parties whose vote of non-con-
hdence in the government was prompted
by indignation over an isolated incident
or military aggression are now lining up,
1t is said. to defend constitutional princi-
pies and demand the notification of the
decree. which sets at naught subsequently
enacted laws. and which, if upheld, SUBJ
ordinates civil to military authority any
where in Prussia.
National Liberals to Join.
The national liberals who were the
most uncertain element in the Decem-
Der majority, according to an evening
paper, will participate in the new attack
on the government next week.
Chancellor Won Bethmann Hollweg
flung defiance at his liberal critics and
army's rights to prevent parliamentary
control. He also referred to the min
istry's disregard for the resolution of
non-confidence adopted by the Reich
stag.
The court martial proceedings have ap-
parently turned public sympathies to a
considerable extent in the direction of
Col Won Reuter- and his officers. Even
opposition paners admit there was abun-
dant provocaton for the arrests and
hold Won Reuter- blameless for acting on
instructions found in the service manual,
Raps Ruling Democracy.
Count Yorch Won Wartenburg, con-
member of the Prussian house of
lords. was alternately indignant and pa
thetic today in speaking of the attempts
Of what he called ''the ruling democracy"
in the imperial parliament to curtail the
prerogatives of the Prussian king
They seek to change the Prussian
clared, land at the same time they are
invading the rights of taxation of the
various federated states of the German
empire"
Imperial Chancellor Won Bethmann-
as Prussian premier assured the
Prussian house of lords that the minis
tiers of Prussia were on their guard
against permitting the introduction of
parliamentary control of the army or
the extension of the franchise He spoke
on a resolution demanding that the
derminins of Prussia's position by the
German empire through the shifting of
the constitutional guarantees TO the dis
advantage of the individual states"
The resolution was adopted by the
house, which. however, assured the
chancellor that its passage did not imply
4 vote of want of confidence.
France Comments on Acquittal.
PARIS. January 1O-The acquittal of
the German army officers at Strassburg
is widely commented upon in France
although for the most part the press
from strong criticism, appar-
emily regarding the incident chiefly in
the light of a struggle between the civil
and military authorities. constituting a
landmark in the history of Germany
The Temps says:
The chief point of the incident is
the brutal affirmation by the mi itary
authorities of their systematic indiffer-
ence 10 all which proceeds from civil
1t means that the supremacy,
been proclaimed by the council of war;