New-York tribune., 1918-11-26
Hun Bolshevisrn

Chancellor Ebert's central govern
ment in Berlin has been taken over by
the German Bolshevists. 1t is to be
hereafter mere adjunct to self-ap-
pointed Executive Council of the German
Socialist Republic. This council is to
exercise full control until a superseding
body is elected by the Soldiers and
Workmen's Soviets.
The old imperial government, with
Chancellor Prince Macmillan at its
head, entered into negotiations with the
Allies for an armistice. Before the ar
mistice was signed William II resigned
and Maximilian was elbowed out of Of
flee by Ebert. The Reichstag has now
been dissolved. The Federal Council is
defunct. Ebert, former member of the
dead Reichstag, was the last link between
the regime which authorized Germany's
capitulation and the regime which was
to execute the terms of surrender. Now
he is gone and the Allies have to deal
with a German government which has
cut completely away from the past and
has no direct responsibility for the bar
gain by which Germany purchased i'm
munity from invasion.
The situation is one which cannot be
pleasing to the Allied powers. The Sc
curity of their armistice and peace con-
tracts with Germany must rest now
more than ever on armed force. They
face the prospect of having to impose
terms of reparation on a government
which, like Lenine's and Trotzky's, has
no sense Of international obligations, and
is ready to destroy whatever resources
Germany still possesses by melting an
other Bolshevist class war.
The German revolution has run
course so far strangely parallel with that
of the Russian revolution. The Reichs-
tag forced William IFS abdcation, Just
as the Duma forced that of Nicholas H.
In both cases a parliamentary dictator
ship succeeded. Then the Duma was
abolished by Kerensky, just as the
Reichstag has been abolished by Ebert.
Kerensky was overthrown by the Sol
diers' and Workmen's Soviets. Ebert has
been disposed of in the same manner.
Ebert wanted to have constituent as
sembly elected to reorganize Germany in
accord with a popular mandate Kerensky
actually had a Russian constituent as
sembly ~elected. But when it tried to
meet Lenine, Trotzky and the Soviets
forcibly dispersed it. The German So
viets have already vetoed the German
constituent assembly project They have
no interest in any sort of representative
popular government. They intend to
elect their own national council and
through that council to rule the German
people as automatically as the Kaiser
ever ruled them.
The Bolshevists, whether Russian or
German. scorn the rights of majorities
They are themselves divine Fighters, in
tolerant Of all opposition. Rule Or ruiz
is their motto. And nothing could inter
est the German Bolshevists less than tt
restore political or economic order as ;
preliminary to discharging German wa,
debts and reestablishing Germany's RICH
to reenter the society Of self-respectinf
nations.
Cardinal MERCER has lent the weigh
Of his authority to the theory that tht
German revolution is a piece of camou
f1age, deliberately undertaken by the Ger
man people in order to dodge a dreade,
national reckoning Perhaps the classe
which formerly controlled German polio
are abetting Bolshcvism with this hon
in view They want to represent them
selves as also among the conspicuous vic
TINS OF the war, and thus gain outsid
sympathy. They may be glad, for tn
present, to shift the responsibility 70
settlement to the shoulders of the prole
tariat.
But they deceive themselves. Ger
many cannot escape cxpiation, eve
though her Bolshevists should initiate
reign Of terror out-Hcrodng Lenine'
and Trotzky's. The Allied armies vii
soon be on The left bank Of The Rhine
They wiII reraain thcr@until Germany