New-York tribune., 1918-03-17
Junkers' Masquerade

erland.
Junkers' Masquerade
1t soon became evident. however, that
the Fatherland party was but another
name for men and influences which the
general sentiment Of the country had
already rejected under other names.
1t was the old onglomeration of Con-
servatives, Pan Germans, Junkers-the
typical progeny of what We call Prus-
sianism. The new party, too. was able
to command the support of the indus
trial allies of that old conglomeration
namely, the so-called "Schwcrindus-
trie,' which is the German name for
the great coal and iron magnates and
their financial hackers. The "Schwern-
dustre" supplied the most Of the
funds required supplied them
lavishly. Professor Walter Goetz, Of
Leipsic University, has recently de-
scribed the great propaganda carried
on by the Fatherland party in the press
and on the stump. Newspapers were
bought outright at fancy prices. ad-
vertising space rented at unheard- of
rates; pamphlets circulated on lavish
scale and a prodigious campaign for a
so-called "Hindcnburg Peace" was car
ried on.
That name was one to conjure with,
and so was that of his satellite Luden-
dorff. The two military leaders were
pelted with kilograms from "Fathcr-
land meetings from all points of the
compass; their popularity was to be
utilized for creating sentiment for
peace of big anncXations and every
thing else in sight. They did not capt
ure Hindcnburg, not openly, though
he doubtless sympathizcs with the aims
of the party. Last September he an
swcred one of the kilograms by quot
ing the Kaiscr's we'll known words
about knowing no political parties and
calling upon the Fatherland party to
return to the Burgfrieden, or party
truce.
A Lost Fight
Soon after this the majority combi-
nation in the Rcichstag forced Chan
cellor Michaels to resign, and was able
to bring about the reorganization of
the ministry in accordance with it's
wishes as to men and measures The
reform of the antiquated Prussan
suffrage system was put in the fore
front Of home policies. This amount
cd to an attack by the government,
supported by the Kaiser, upon the bas-
ton of Junker power in Prussia. That
element protested with characteristic
arrogance and vigor. 1t made an on
slaught upon the whole Hertling min
istry as an illegal cncroachment upon
the kaiser's prcrogatives. Recently
these Conservatives secured the sup
port of the National Liberals to side
track universal suffrage and substitute
a modified system, with plural votes
for preferred classes. What the re-
suit will be is not yet clear, but the
significant thing is thcrc--thc Conscr-
vatives are fighting for their political
existence in opposition to the Kaiser
If the government maintains the strong
hand it showed at the outset it will
dissolve the Chamber and appeal to the
country. But the government has lat
terly betrayed marked signs of weak
ening before the onset of Tirpitz and
his political troopers. 1t was recently
complained at meeting of the Reichs-
tag Main Committee, for example, that
the censorship was shielding Tirpitz
from all criticism, while the govern
ment itself was a free target The
Fatherland party had played its game
we'll: the defeat of universal suffrage
was it's first score.
Conquest
But it scored still bigger at Brcst-
Litovsk. Americans have been amazed
at the sudden change of front by the
German negotiators there, and nobody
has understood, apparently, just why it
occurred. 1t has been assumed that it
was a deliberate trick on the part of
Hertling. when, on December %, he
amended the remuneration of annexa-
tions made on Christmas Day by claim
ing that the Russian border provinces
had already declared their secession
from Russia and attachment to Ger
many. The change was interpreted in
the Liberal press of Germany as
compromise forced upon the too timid
government by a great onslaught Of
the Fatherland element, "annexation
mad, and representatives Of the un-
adulterated principle Of power"
That is doubtless a true explanation,
highly interesting to US as illuminating
with a fare the enormous influence of
the Fatherland party-an element Of
the population represented in the
Rcichstag by less than one-ifth of its
membership. But it is the party Of birth,
social position and great capital, and it