The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-21
Will Germany
Sign the Treaty?

1nlS Is one Oh llo ledQlllS
questions at present before the
Peace Conference and the world.
Refusal by the Ebert Govern
ment of Germany to sign the
Treaty of Peace might lead to
endless difficulty for the Allied
nations; in that event the Gov
eminent would fall either into
very conservative or very radi-
cal hands. In the former case a
revolution by the Radical So
cialists, the Spartacides, would
be inevitable; in the latter case
the emergence Of Bolshevism,
even an alliance with Lenine
and Trotsky, could not long be
delayed. Either alternative
would mean the endless policing
of Germany b Vailed troops, the
indefinite retardation of peace,
and a continuance of unsettled
conditions of commerce and in
dustry for the. whole world.
A careful examination of ex-
tracts from the principal Ger
man newspapers and of the ut
terances of her leading politi-
clans cause one to believe, how
ever, that the fall Of the Ebert
Government is far from newt
able. True the German premier,
Scheidamann, has stated public
ly that the Peace Terms are Elm
possible, !, Brockdoriff- Rantzau,
the Foreign Minister, has made
a statement to the same effect
there have also. been threats of
desertion from the Conference
by the Germans. But the politi-
cal situation in Germany is such
as to make it strongly probable
that the Ebert Government will
not relinquish its power. A re-
port from Berlin states that
Government would resign rath-
er than accept or reject the peace
terms, saying that the Govern
ment would hold out to the end.
Z, Indeed it is not likely that Eb-
ert, Scheidemann, Noske and the
rest Of the present German gov
would voluntarily relin-
quish their power to the radi-
Gals whom they have done so
much to suppress. The strong
action of Herr Noske, the Min |
lister Of War, has so far kept
Sovietism down in Germany.
Blood has been shed; there have |
been pitched battles in the
streets of Berlin, Munich and |
elsewhere. If the Ebert govern |
ment should resign now all this |
bloodshed would have been in |
vain and it would face the |
charge Of having killed Germans |
TO maintain a Government which |
It deserted a Government which
Allied occupation.
/. Another dilemma which the
Ebert government faces is the
TACT that it will have to sign-the
,reaty. The latest reports from
Berlin indicate that even if the
Ebert government should re-
sign the Independence Socialists,
headed by Hugo Haase, would
refuse to take its place. Here is
part of a statement issued by
Herr Haase:
'rThe Independent Socialist
Party does not dream of taking
he blame for the world war and
he terrible consequences for
Germany from the shoulders Of
hose responsible, the Scheide-
nanns and Ersbergers, the Cler-
Gals and Democrats, who zeal
,usly aided the late Govern
nent's war policy, granted all |
and by their attitude
prevented an early termination
If the war. Let them settle the
bankrupt estate"
There is undoubtedly sound
political wisdom in this policy.
The Scheidemanns and Ersber-
yers certainly did prolong the
war by supporting the ex-Kais-
er's regime. The Independent
Socialists would gain only a
emporary power if they assumed
responsibility for the Peace
Treaty. They do well to refuse