Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-21
Berlin L|STlESS
AMID REVOLUTION
Peoples War-Weary Nerves
Unable to Respond to
Thrills.
ruIEE iMTepccT IN cnnn
CHIEF INTEREST IN FOOD

BERLIN. Saturday. NovsGnber Ia
Berlin has now had week d revolution.
yet the streets have the same appearance
they presented on any Saturday dur
ing the war, With the exception Of
to events along tho front.
A casual visitor would not be aware
that this has been the storm center
Of gigantic political upheaval. The
| mass Of the public appears anything
but excited over the future progress Of
| events. Its faded. war-weary nerves
are apparently no longer capable Of
responding to thrills. no matter how
inspiring.
It is no reflection on Germans sense
OF patriotic duty to say that news
| of American food relief temporarily
eclipses curiosity over the political
war, the listless attitude Of the mid
die class elements in the early stages
of the revolution Is typical Of the
apathy that prevails.
Perplexed by Grave Events.
While parliamentary leaders Of the
| middle parties beat headlong re-
treat when the abdication Of Emperor
social democrats undisputed masters
Of the tangled situation, the majority
OF the middle-class citizens appeared
oblivious or perplexed in the face Of
socialists had worked feverishiy for
eight days to anchor the revolution
| in the hearts and minds Of the work.
ingmen that the middle classes de-
cided to issue their first call to arms.
The Ebert-Haase cabinet apparently
| is in undisputed control, although its
organization is still somewhat chaotic.
1t has taken over such elements of
the old bureaucratic regime as were
indispensable and placed its party
men in strategic positions, without,
however, manifesting inclination to-
ward party bias. The hastily created
| subordinate bodies and committees
are gradually introducing q semblance
Of method and continuity into their
work.
puted Jurisdiction which made the
reichstag building q babel early in
the week now has disappeared. The
executive committee Of the soldiers
and workmen's organization Is sup
posed to be the highest authority in
not attain that distinction. It is sub
ordinate to the final authority Of the
| council formed by the six peoples
commissioners. Until the national as
! sembly has decreed the structure of
the new republic the present appara-
| makeshift- It is the best the social
democrats have been able to devise in
| the hour Of revolutionary travail.
Look to National Assembly.
At present the Ebert cabinet IL con-
| corning itself with the urgent prob
lens Of food and rehabilitation. Tho
| gravity OF both is such that the rad.
! fcals are wisely RETAINING from in
dulgtng In any utopian experiments.
They have been moro than circum-
speot. and their reiteration that they
| propose to convene the national assem-
| bly, is interpreted to mean that they
| do not propose to offer af1ront to the
| middle classes or place the transit
tional development in jeopardy.
| Ebert and scheidemann are not
lawyer credited with poise and mod
Grafton. He asserted today that he
does not favor experiments, and the
present time, above all. Is not suited
dustry. Haase, Dittmann and Berth
have been less satisfactory. Haase
is credited sith being an extremely
astute politician. He inherited party
leadership from Ferdinand August
Bebe', former socialist chief in the
| his party split four years ago. Haase
probably suffers abroad because of
his violent utterances in the reichs-
tag. He should not be measured
| credit for realizing his responsibility.
During the course Of the week no
serious friction in tho cabinets de-
/, alterations has been reported. al
| though the left wing has not declared
for an early converting Of the ma
En-
plot the interim In terrifying pro-
letarian rule. Ebert and ,Scheide-
mann, on tho other hand, are con-
tent to rest their cause In the cleo
tions.
Middle Glass Action.
The coming week win bring the
middle class parties into belated
action. The merger Of the national
liberals and the progressives has vir-
tuaily been effected. Leading men
and women all over the country is
sued a stirring call for the founding
OF new democratic party today. The
appointment Of Kari Kantsky and Ed
ward Bernstein as undersecretaries
Of foreign affairs and finance brings
two Of the best known theorists into
the soldiers and workmen's govern
ment Both are convinced however.
that Germany Is not In At spiritual or
physical COHOItlOn 10 WAxTHHS expert
ments along the line Of their pet
theories.
Responsibility for the disorders in
the first days Of the revolution rests
on the Spartacus group. In which
Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg
carry little Of tho influence they held
at first Soldiers and sailors are
ready to suppress any plot against
the government. and are insistent in
their demand for non-paftisan poll
tics and for converting the national
assembly, at which the greater Ger
man republic will receive its bap-
tism-
,aune nrcsnr RI annnr