Evening star., 1917-10-12

the mutinous outbreak in the German
navy.
The outbreak affected at least six
important units of the fleet putting
them out of action and causing the
authorities TO doubt the discipline and
loyalty of the crews of other large
ships.
1t was impossible. the dispatch adds.
to take stern measures on q large scale
against the offenders. because that
would have increased the evil.
Causes of the Revolt.
AMSTERDAM October I2- Accord
Ing to some reports here the discon-
tent in the German navy began eight
months ago, and the men of the feet
had reached such nervous state. ow-
ing to the prolonged high tension,
that only a spark was needed to cause
an explosion. on board the warships
involved 1t is said large numbers Of
pamphlets were found dealing with
the cause of the war and asking why
Germany became the best-hated ma
tion in the world. Others dilated or
the big manufacturing interests and
purported to give the truth about
''the men behind the war.
Fairly reliable account put the num-
tude at thirty, whose sentences ranged
from five TO fifteen years, while eighty
TO one hundred were given lighter SEN
tences.
New and Serious Crisis.
COPENHAGEN. October l2-Ger-
manys paper crisis over the pan-Ger-
man propaganda. which loomed so big
in anticipation but was SO small in
results. has passed. In its place has
risen a new. and this time a really
serious. crisis. caused by the attempt
of Chancellor Michaelis. Vice Chancel-
lor Helfferich and Minister of the Navy
Won Capelle to use the alleged plot in
the German navy as a political weapon
against the party of the extreme left
in the reichstag.
1t Is not improbable. German political
observers point out, that Chancellor
Mfchaelis, in an hour of apparent sue
cess, sowed the seeds of his own down
fall. Results are not to be expected
Immediately, as the reichstag adjourns
this week, but the new conditions of
German political life, it is contended
viii undoubtedly from now on work
against Won Bethmann-Hollweg's sue
ceSsor.
Driven Into Alignment
The Immediate results of the dis
closures of Chancellor Michaelis and
Vice Admiral Won Capene have been
fhat the government socialists have
been driven into complete opposition
-
cialists: that the followers of Philipp
6chetdemann have delivered q formal
declaration of war against the govern
ment until Chancellor Michaelis has
been removed from Office, and that the
radicals, the members of the center
and even the national liberals have
criticised and condemned the Michaelis-
Napello move as one which ought not
TO have been made unless the govern
ment had full. adequate proof of the
Complicity OF the three radical social
asts In an actual conspiracy to mutiny-1
proof which they evidently believe the
government will be unable to produce
stripped of its embellishments the
government statement reduced itself to
the charge that agitation to enroll
members for the radical socialist party
had been carried on in the navy; that
leadets had been distributed, and that
TWO OF the executed sailors had visited
deputies Haase, Vogtherr and Dittman
Affair Held Misused.
The three socialists made a great play
OF the fact that the government had
made no attempt to bring them to trial
before or after the court-martial at
Wilhelmshayen August 80, and thew
argued that the crown prosecutor would
not have missed such an opportunity
II ne mad any evidence upon which to
convict them. This argument evidently
g..
II has dictated the attitude of a large
snare or the press, which, despite dis
ike for Inc radical socialists, takes the
standpoint that Chancellor Michaelis
mlsused the affair for political capital
Tho newspapers intimate that iowa r-d
tho close of the reichstag session Den
uty Haase-and his radical socialist col
leagues appeared rather in the role Of
aocuser5 than of the accused and they
print in large type Deputy Ledebours
tovn (NiNo-
chaelis rose to reply: The prisoner Will
now take the stand"
Chancellor Attacked.
The Vorwaerts, which, In common
with the other German newspapers. ar
lved mere after eighteen hours delay,
contains a scathtng attack on the i'm
per1a1 German chancellor, DR.. Michaelis.
Referr1ng to the Michaelis-yon Capelle
hints or the existence of a conspiracy
In the navy, with wide ramiffcations
and that certain deputies partIctp pated
In the revolt 1t says:
Enemy countries will refotoe and
VIII not believe that this is a ridicu-
lons exaeseration invented by an in
means to justify himself. It was not .
revolutfonary conspiracy, but a case of
m1utAry revolt such as, in view Of tire
p9otracted war, has doubtless occurred
IN otner countries. and no shadow of
deputies were concerned in it"
Declaring that unless the deppttes
were arraigned the statements of Chan
cellor Mtchaelis and Admiral Won
Capelle would be branded as frivolons
It says: N'
"Dr. Michaelis and Admiral yo,
Capeue have offered q feast to foreign
countries OF the prospective triumph
of Bolshevikism in Germany. Wi,b
clumsy fists they have pushed the in
dependent socialists into the limeIteht
Michaells must go. A falsely UNDER
stood sense OF duty has induced this
man to assume a post for which he is
nowfse fitted
Ovation for Bethmann Hollwee.
When Deputy Neumann mentioned
Won Bethmann Hollweg's name the
rfchstag gave the ex-chanceilor an oya-
ffon. We who have combated Won Beth
mann Honweg must say that COM
pared with the present chancellor
Won Bethmann Hollweg was a giant.
When DIR. Michaelis ended his sec
ond speech his words sank into a grave
OF silence. Even the conservatives
seem to have lost interest in this chan
cellor. Germany cannot win her de-
fenstvc war while her fate is directed
by threadbare bureaucratic zeal and a