The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-09-03
GERMANY STILL
A MONARCHY.
Swiss Newspaper Declares
1t Is a Republic Without
Republicans
VERY FEW GERMANS
FAVOR DEMOCRACY
Supporters of Present Government Are
Generals Who Openly Declare They
Favor Monarchy-No Immediate Re-
turn of Hohenzollerns.

BERNE, Sept. 3.-All impartial, in
dependent Swiss newspapers realize
that Germany is a republic in name on
ly, and that the German, at present at
any rate, seems incapable of changing
his character The National Zeitung of
Basel, which has generally maintained
an independent attitude throughout the
war and is well informed about Ger |
man affairs, does not hesitate to call
Germany "a republic without republi- |
cans or "a monarchy without a mon
arch In leading article the Ma
tional Zeitung says:
Any one observing the trend and
the spirit of Germany today cannot help
thinking of that malicious phrase "a
republic without republicans 1t is, of
course, somewhat of an exaggeration,
for there are still some republicans in
the former empire of the Hohenzollerns,
among them a handful of humble demo
Gratis, who are supporters of the new
constitution. Some of them are repub-
| licans from motives of honest conviC
ton and the rest from motives of am
bition. As for the great mass of the
people, they fall into three groups, in
which, it is true, there is an infnity of
| different shades of opinion. First, there
are the nationaiists and militarists, who
are out and out opponents of the repub
| lie, and, from their point of view, I'M
| doubtedly rightly so. Next, there arc
| the opportunists, who will recognize
any and every government which makes
| life easier for them, gives thum some
| thing to eat, and protects them against
civil war. They form the real, solid
peoples party. Finally, there are the
revolutionaries, who are behind the In
dependent Socialists, Democrats and
Spartacus people. Some of these are con
WINGED communists and advocates of tn
dictatorship of the working classes, auI
| others are desperados who hope for a
worldwide revolution, with or without
| Bolshevisms to relieve Germany and
| themselves from the heavy burdens of
! the Versailles Peace treaty
"Only a very few Germans, indeed
are, what people in entente countries
call epublicans-that is, in favor Of a
| parliamentary and frankly democratic
form of government. Germans, in fact,
cannot be anything of the sort, alike be
cause of their upbringing, their national
character, and their experiences in war
and peace. 1t is open to every one to
reproach them with this fact, but our
business now is to face it. The interme-
date stages of a democratic parliament
tary republic, the stages on which
France and the American Union have
hitherto been built up, and also England
practically, though not actually, viii
hardly result in permanent conditions
in Germany.
"'The phrase ga monarchy without a
monarch - would be truer than a re-
} public without republicans The mon
archists have remained, but owing to
; unfavorable circumstances the mon
arehy in Germany has been abolished
; and great is the resultant blank and
great the perplexity. The monarchy re-
minds the Germans of the time when all
went exeellently with them, when they
| grew rich and penetrated into all parts
of the world. The republic comes to
. them together with the most appalling
collapse, and at the same time they are
despised and impoverished. This is, of
course, post hoe and not propter hoe
but nowhere do the great mass of man
kind tend to make any such logical DIS
tinctions Anyone who realizes thit
if the world is to settle down again, the
spirit of Germany must be regenerated
will note with pain and anxiety LIE
turn which matters are taking in thai
country.
1t would be going too far to assume
that the Hohenzollerns are likely to re
turn Immediately. Their absence, how
ever, is not due to the German nator
having learned wisdom, but to its de
feat and weakness and to its fear o.
the entente. Thus the chancellor, Bauer
and Noske, minister of defense, tele
graphed to Hindenburg in Language
which certainly steers clear of Ger
mans former expressively provocativ,
and overweeningly conceited style, bu
that is ALL Otherwise these ministerial