Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-17
Berlin ASSEMBLY
SCENE OF TUMU[T
Soldiers and Workers Coun-
Gil Refuses to Invite Lieb-
knecht as Adviser.
ADVERSE VOTE DECISIVE

BERLIN, Monday, December 16 (by
the Associated Press).-The central
congress of delegates from soldiers
and workmen's councils. from many
parts of Germany opened today in
the building formerly used by the
Prussian diet. There were three
women among the $50 delegates.
During the organization Of the
congress it became evident that the
independent socialists and the Sparta
Gus group were greatly outnumbered.
significant development was that
none of the important posts in the
congress was given to delegates from
Berlin.
The Spartacus group made futile
attempt to intimidate the congress.
Early in the session a resolution was
submitted that DR.. Karl Liebknecht
and Rosa Luxembourg, leaders of the
Spartacus group, be invited to attend
the congress as guests with advisory
powers. Less than Is per cent of the
delegates voted for the resolution.
Resolution Causes Uproar.
Presentation of the resolution
caused a great tumult throughout
the hall. The followers of DR.. Lleb-
knecht and spectators in the gallery
ioined in the -uproar, which lasted
twenty minutes and threatened to
result in various fist fights.
A contest is expected when the
question of summoning a national
assembly comes up for discussion:
of the workmens section of the
executive committee. was speaking,
the chairman of the congress inter-
rupted to say, "There is a comrade
present who wishes to submit a COM
The newcomer reported that he rep
resented 250.000, workmen who then
were assembled outside the diet
building. He read list of demands
identical with the Spartacus program.
including retention of all power by
the soldiers and workmen's councils,
no national assembly and the forma-
ton of red guard. This aroused a
storm Of protest and in the general
uproar the intruder left the chamber.
!, Crowd Numbers Only 1000.
The 250,ooo workmen. who, he said.
were outside the building, proved to
be about 1000 from five factories,
whom the Liebknecht agents had in
duced to go on strike temporarily. In
the meantime, DR.. Liebknecht sue.
ceeded in entering the building and
nfde sa speech to the crowd from !
window.
The elections to a national assembly
in the former duchy of Anhalt. which
is the first German federal state to
vote for constituent body, resulted
today in a marked victory for the ma
jority socialists. The socialists polled
92,229 votes against a total of 66,951
for the combined bourgeoise groups.
socialists had 31.465 against 36.649 for
the bourgeoise parties.
The increase IN the mum Der of votes
was due to the lowering of the age
limit and the votes of women.
Anhalt Assembly Membership.
The Anha1t national assembly will
be composed of twenty-five majority
socialists. twelve German democrats
and two conservatives. The inde-
pendent socialists failed to get suf-
f1cient number of signatures neces-
sary to nominate ticket. The mid
dlestand" group. composed of subor-
dinate government officials, including
school teachers. failed to poll enough
votes necessary to have a represen-
tative in the assembly.
Socialists for Assembly.
COPENHAGEN, December ia
general meeting of the independent
socialist party has decided that the
party shall vote in favor of national
assembly. The Berlin correspondent
of the Berlingske Tidende of Copen-
hagen says this is a great defeat for
the Spartacus group.
The elections to the national assem-
bly, in the former grand duchy of
were announced to the
congress of soldiers and workmen's
councils in Berlin as follows: Social
lists, two. liberals. sixteen; "handi-
craftmen," three. and peasant party,
one.