New-York tribune., 1918-05-06
Won Payer Declares Massa-
Gre of High officials
Was Prevented
"Iron Hand" Rule
Explained in Reichstag
Communistic Theories Are
Blamed for F allure to Meet
Food Agreement
Oh The Associated Prcssl

German Vice Chancellor. Friedrich Won
Payer, speaking before the Main Com
mittee Of the Reichstag yesterday, at
tempting to justify Germany's use of
the iron hand in Ukrania in the last
few days, said prominent Ukrainians,
under the title of the Committee of
Safety, had been caught planning the
assassination of all German officers, or,
as the Vice Chancellor phrased it, "a
sort of Sicilian vespers"
(Sicilian vespers is the term given to
the massacre of the French in Sicily by
the Sicilians, which began az Palermo
on March so, 1882; so-called from its
commencement at vespers on Easter
Monday. The populace ran through the
city crying out, "Let the French die"
and 5000, without distinction of rank,
age or sex, were killed.)
Won Payer declared, according to
Berlin dispatches, that the membership
OF the Committee of Safety included
several Ukrainian ministers and that
the committee held its meetings at the
house of the War Minister The Ger
mans, he added, therefore, "took steps
to render them harmless"
Invasion Was Invited"
7 "The Germans entered the Ukraine. ~
said the Chancellor, "at the express
wish of the Uhrainian government for
the purpose of restoring order But
there were also other grounds. We had
lively interest in getting foodstuffs
as speedily as possible The general
idea then was that great quantities
OF foodstuffs could be produced in the
! Ukraine, and the Ukrainians undertook
TO deliver at least one million tons by
August l. The Rada, however, had no
means Of insisting on the delivery Of
the grain by the population. The Ger
mans, therefore, had to concern them
selves with obtaining deliveries in ac-
cordance with the treaty
"Our activity in this direction has
been to a certain extent a source OF
discomfort. The recent reorganization
of the Ukrainian government has moth
| ing to do with the decree issued by
General Won Eichhorn Commander of
the German army group in Russia)
relative to the sowing Of crops, nor
with the arrest Of members of the gov
ernment.
Rada Theories Blamed
This reorganization is purely a
not concerned. The Rada has recently
lost ground to an increasing extent.
1t undoubtedly had the merit of hav-
ing created the Ukrainian state and
gwen it peace. But stubborn adherence
to communistic theories that have
gained no sympathy among the peasant
population, which is attached to the
soil, seems to have been principally re-
sPonslble Pt,lS tor bringing about its end.
The field sowing decree was issued
because opposition to the proposed land
| great part of the soil would remain
uncultivated, and that the Ukraine
thereby would be unable to fulfil her
obligations toward US.
The interests of our people. there
fore, were at stake. The Ukrainian
govcrnInent was powerless to fulfil its
obligations. Moreover. the decree was
not addressed to the Ukra;nian people
but to the German military authori-
ties.
Military Authority Supreme
Measures have now been taken that
IN all affairs of political Importance
our military commanders must only act
IN collaboration with the German Min
| ister
"As regards the arrest of members
of the government in the Rada on the
night Of April "a, Director Dobry. of
the ukrainan Bank and member of
the delegation which conducted the
financial negotiations with us. was ar
rested by three armed men, who de-
clared they acted on the instructions
of the Committee of Ukrainian Saliva
ton. This committee pursued an anti
German tendency, and several Ukrain-
ian ministers belonged to it. They
went so far as to aim at driving the
Germans out of their country and met
in the house of the War Minister. where
on one occasion sort of Stellar
espers-namely, the assassination Of
all German oficevs-was suggested.
Nothing remained, therefore. but to
render harmless the foolish InstIgators
of this plan. Our minister, Baron Won
Mumm. demanded that the Premier i'm
mediately institute an investigation.
The Premier promised to do so. but
nothing followed.
There was thus undoubted danger
to the lives of our officers and army.
The only course open was either to
take legal action in the Ukrainian
courts, which was impracticable. or to
insure our safety by other means
General Won Eichhorn, therefore. in en-