The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-12-30
STORM kA|SER'S
BERLIN PALACE.
BoIsheviki Use Big Guns in the
Streets of German
Capital.
REVOLT AGAINST EBERT RULE
Building Is Hit Twenty Times by Big
Shells and Badly Damased-Rand-
to-Hand Fighting in the
White Salon.

Copenhagen, Dec. 30.-The crisis at
Berlin has been settled. The Ebert
government is still in control and, in
deed, emerges from the crisis stronger
than it was a week ago. Saturdays
rumor that DR.. Karl Liebknecht had
| overthrown the Ebert government
proved unfounded. The independent
| socialists have retired from the Ebert
| government as a result of the clash
The majority socialists remain in the
cabinet.
The Hague, Dec. 30.-The Berlin Lo-
kal Anzeiger gives the following de-
tails Of the fight for possession of the
former royal palace.
A rs gun stationed near the ar
mory opened quickfire on the north
| wing of the palace. The first hit vas
just above the entrance close to a bal
cony where two machine guns were
set up.
The second shot passed through
window on the second floor in room
in which sailors had been observed.
The defenders of the palace replied
by machine-gun fire directed against
the palace library, where the govern
ment troops were stationed.
Before 8 80 o'clock the palace had
been hit 20 times. The sailors fired
| mostly from the palace roof on attack
ing troops, who, however, succeeded
in avoiding the fire as they crossed an
| open square and under cover of the
walls reached entrance number four
of the palace, where the sailors had
barricaded themselves.
I Use Hand Grenades.
The door was destroyed with hand
grenades, and the attacking troops
entered the palace. With loud hur-
rah they rushed up the main staircase
and attacked the former kaiser's
apartment, which, however, the sail
ors had abandoned. The white salon.
on the contrary, was defended En-
trance was forced by means Of hand
grenades, whereupon a hand-to-hand
fight ensued.
The government troops succeeded
eventually in driving back the insur-
gents, forcing them to withdraw to
apartments Of the south wing oppo-
site the stables. The sailors had
placed machine guns in the corridors
leading thereto, and with these they
kept the gangways under constant
fire.
The castle was severely damaged in
places including the balcony from
which the former kaiser had ad-
dressed the people at the outbreak OF
the war.
Sailors Start Trouble.
The sailors division in the royal
castle, which started the fighting,
have long been regarded as support
ers of Doctor Liebknecht; hence Pre-
mier Ebert desired their removal.
The sailors particularly disliked Com
mandant Wells, who doubtless for ex-
celIent reasons distrusted them as
force for protecting the persons and
property of the Berlin population.
Apart from the Wells was already
Hated to the point of fanaticism by all
Spartacus and Independent socialist
4 people,
shooting of December g.
On Monday about 800 men of the
so-called sailors peoples defense force
went from their quarters in the pal
, ace to the Kommanddantur building,
| close by. They were able to enter
without difficulty, because, although
the whole neighborhood was occupied
J by government troops with machine
guns and other weapons this was only
for the sake of appearance.
Seize Wells By Neck.
The sailors made their way into the
office, where they seized Wells by the
scuff of the neck and hauled him and
his assistants to the stables, where
thew were detained until late at night,
when their release was reported.
The attack on Ebelt's office seems
to have been made with the object Of
forcing the government to make Wells
resign. The sailors of Ebert's own
guard told him they had received or
ders to seize all telephones and pre-
vent anyone from entering or leaving
the building.
The entire government was taken
prisoner The occupation of the chan
celery was repeated in the evening.
) Meanwhile wild rumors were circulat-
ed that the Twenty-first regiment was
approaching to relieve the govern
ment.