Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-11

resting the executive committee sue
ceeded The handbills read:
Comrades, citizens, womeni Read
this aloud Parts OF the Berlin garri.
son and front formations were compelled
to arrest today the traitorous. incom-
petent, treacherous executive committee.
as It endangers to the utmost the peo-
pies welfare. within fourteen days we
should have had hunger. famine, pesti-
lence and niggers In Berlin.
I'VE all desire peace, liberty, law,
bread. All this we can has II the ma
tional convention is called at once,
ent for the young republic. The peoples
will is the supreme law"
The last sentence sounds strangely
reminiscent OF wilhelm II. who once
to the great chagrin of all liberal-m minded
people. proclaimed publicly, THE Kings
will is the supreme law" II It were not
for this last line, one might mistake
the handbill for n genuine democratic
product; but Martens assertions do not
warrant the belief that he was serious
in his democratic intentions. He has
been associated with such men as
Reventlow, though 1t may be doubted II
any serious reactionary really had any
connections with this absurd conspir-
acy.
No matter what was the ultimate in
tentions of Marten. Matuscha, and
Rhelnbaden, the reactionary press con-
tention that they meant to aid Ebert's 8
Government may be regarded as ridicu-
lous. 1t has not yet been discovered
who, in the guise of a Captain Kess-
ler," ordered the Franzer regiment to
participate in the coup. but Matuscha is
suspected Of having played tho part
RED Heart" the watchword
At the homes of all three a number
of black arm-loops with a red heart
embroidered thereon were discovered
Some minor culprits HAD a number of
these arm-loops, which evidently were
to distinguish the leaders Of the new
movement II the coup succeeded.
RED Heart" was the watchword given
to the minor culprits, with which to
mako themselves known to each other
as being among the wise ones.
1t has since developed that quite a
number of other troop formations had
been approached by the conspirators to
take part in the coup, as. for instance,
4 mariners battalion under Commander
Herman Graeber. who had been asked
to send 200 or 900 men with rifles and
thirty rounds of munitions Captain
Schwarzenburg, formerly in command
approved of It. At another consultation
OF Graebers with a member Of the
| flying corps, 'Echtmann. the latter gave
the former the watchword. "Red Heart,
which would accredit him in certain cir
cles. Echtmann had added to the plar
of arresting the executive committee the
| plan Of the ovation to Ebert, and re-
quested Graeber and his men to take
part in both.
| As Echtmann refused, however. tc
tell who had authorized the plan, Grae
Der wen to the Chancellor's palace. bu
found no one there who knew anything
about 1t. Graeber had been told tha
Guard Pioneers were In the know. &c
he telephoned to them from the Chan'
cellor's palace, giving the watchword
Red Heart" but the Guard Pioneers
would not talk over the telephone.
That was on Friday morning. Graebel
sent a small unarmed detachment o.
mariners to participate in the demon
stration to Ebert. 1t IS supposed tha
many other troop formations were ap
preached in a similar fashion by tht
Red Heart conspiracy.