The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-17

Amsterdam, Wow. 19--Dr. Matthias
Erxberxer, who was the civilian
head Of the German armtsttce conn
mission. will be Germany's repre-
sentative in the preliminary peace
negotiations, In conjunction with
DIR. w. 3. solf, the foreign minis
ter. An official statement to this
erect was made ~ the Berlin gov
ernment tcday with nm announce
ment Of the personnel Of the re-
constructed government.
s. A remarkahfe feature of4the situation
In that while DR.. Ebert. as chancellor
or provisional president OF the pro
visional republic" holds the fsrst office,
the preliminary peace work has been
placed in the hands OF two non-So-
ctalists who Iced. are holdovers of
the Max OF laden regime.
There is discernible in the news from
Berlin a tendency toward pushing the
Socialists more and more into the nack-
ground, though they hold most OF the
cabinet rests Only in the first few
DAYS OF the arpheavai was DR.. Ebert
heard vociferously as the spokesman OF
the new government Since then Dr.
Solf has held the center OF the stage,
as far as official outgivings and mes
sages are concerned, at least.
For Expansion.
DR.. Solf was colonial minister under
Prince Max's regime. Though opposed
to out and out junkerism. he has long
been an energetic supporter OF Ger
man expansion He believes however.
in the doctrine OF peaceful penetra-
ton" rather than conquest by the
sword Erzberger is the leader of the
Centrist party and Yields powerful
influence in the reichstag. 1t was he
who formed the first majority bloc
which forced the on-annexationist
resolution on the kaiser's government
in July. 1917.
Another feature Of the developments
at Berlin Is that the war minister. Won
Scheuch la retained and that the min
isfry of the marine has given to Ad-
rnirai Won Mann Both are men of lib
eral Ieanings, but the Importance OF
their places in the government lies in
the fact that 1t illustrate the sharp con-
trast between the German upheavai
and the Russian revolution apparent
from the outset
The Germans. according to all indi-
cations. learned an invaluable lesson
from the Bolshevist rebellion than 1t In
suicidal for a country to allow a distn-
tegration OF the army and navy dis
cipline and organization.
The fear Of the Red Terror" appears
to be ingrained in the flesh and blood
VI the 1cfIuSau SotAiVto themselves ~n~A
as a consequence the Bolshevist ven-
ture engineered by the Liebknecht wing
was swiftly frustrated. Instead Of APP
preaching soldiers committees In every
division. regiment and battalion as did
the Russians, the German soldiers from
the start showed tendency to retain
strict obedience and allegiance to their
old OFFICERS provided only they were not
called upon to keep up tho hopeless
fight in the feld.
Instead OF making privates and en-
signs ministers of war and marine the
Germans chose men Of rank and proved
authority in those offices and kept
Hindenburg In the place OF chief COM
mander.
Discipline Maintained.
Instead Of aboIishing the death SEN
tence the Germans applied 1t to offences
formerly punished by much lighter PEN
alties.
Today's Berlin news indicates more
over that the radical Socialists who
preach the doctrine of Boishevism have
been virtually eliminated from a share
in the government. Liebknecht Is ut
terly ignored.
Wilhelm Dittman who was released
from prison Just before the revolution
and who was yesterday mentioned as
minister OF rehabilitation, transport.
( CONTINUED on Page Two.)