The sun., 1919-02-09
.DR.DAVID HEADS
WEIMAR PARLEY
German National Assembly
Elects Leader of the So
cial Democrats.
WILL APPEAL TO WILSON
New Republics Chief Framer
Says Country Insists on Self
Determination.
WILL APPEAL TO WILSON
By fbs Associated Press.

NElMAR, Feb. I (delayed). DR.. Ed
uard David, for many years one of
the leaders of the German Social Dem
ocratic party, was elected President to-
day OF the German National Assem-
bly,. DR.. David is one OF the Under
Secretaries of State for Foreign AZ
fairs
IA Weimar despatch dated Friday and
received Friday night enormously re-
ported that Carl Kautsky. also an Under
Secretary OF State for Foreign Affairs.
had been elected president Of the As
eembly. Kautsky is an Independent So
cialist and was last reported attending
! the Socialist conference at Bern
! DR. David received 374 OF total OF
| 399 votes, the Independent Socialists
Withholding their votes. There was
considerable confusion when the dele
gates crowded into the narrow aisles
Z OF the theatre to place their votes in
( the ballot boxes.
One woman delegate who hesitated
IN answering to her name in the roll
call yesterday was equally bashful and
self conscious during the voting to-
day. After some hesitation the woman
walked to the raised dais. ignored the
/ outstretched hand OF the teller and de-
posted the ballot herself The woman
then turned and gazed about trium-
phantly before descending the stairs.
The Clerical member Fehrenbach. a
former President OF the Reichstag: the
Democrat Haussmann and the Conserva-
/ tive Dietrich were elected vice -presis
dents Fehrenbach and Haussnann re-
/ ceived 37i votes each and Dietrich 356.
! Crowds watch the BallOtinE.
The crowds in the Court Theatre were
quite as large as yesterday and watched
the proceedings eagerly. As familiar
names were called the spectators turned
10 see such nationwide figures as Pre-
m!er Ebert. Matthias Erzberger. DR..
Bernhard Dernhurg, Minister Au"r OF
Bavaria. DR.. RiChthofen. Herr Hide
brand. Philip ScheIiemann, Herr Legien
and DR.. Spain,
The crowd laughed when It was found
| that there were three Schulzes in the
Assembly. They come respectively from
East Prussia. West Prussia and Posen.
A notable figure who draws aimos; rs
much attention as those on the stage is
d Theodor Wolf, editor Of the Berlin
I Td0ebldtt, who occupies a place in the
/ first balcony He stands with his hands
/ in hts waistcoat armholes eagerly watch
/ ing each development.
\ number of old men with long white
boards add a picturesque touch TO the
sober colors OF the whole.
Or. pavid's speech was little more
than a repetition OF the words Of Chan
ceuor Ebert on Thursday. especially
when he referred to .tsace Lorraine and
3 the union OF Austria with Germany, both
! of these references being loudly cheered.
, lie said that the old German structure
had been destroyed and appealed to the
Assembly to build up a newt and better
house in the place of the old one.
Headquarters OF Free Word.
Or. David brought a wave of approval
when he said that political self-discipline
was preConditon to political self
: determination, and another when he de-
clared that the Assembly should be the
headouarters of the free word.
Germany was a country ripe for
democracy. he continued. but he warned
the assembly that the eyes OF millions of
people in the world were directed toward
il. Germany. he said. could earn the
confidence Of this world only by rapid
creative work and must understand how
TO bridge the gulf TO cooperative under
standing.
His greeting to Alsace-Lorraine and
tie declaration tnat Germany would not
stop insisting that IL have the right of
self dc termination evoked great ova-
tion. as did his reference to the Aus
trians, whom he said he hoped to be
able to welcome as colleagues.
Twelve former residents OF Alsace, in
Guiding Major-Cien. Scheuch. former
Prussian War Minister, have arrived
here. They were chosen az delegates to
the National Assembly by numerous
Alsatian refugees. and they came to Off
set. as far as possible. the French prohi-
bition against elections in Alsace, having
conducted a makeshift election by mail.
Former Hostage Is Delegate.
One OF the delegates is Mayor Spndler
OF Munster, who was seized in France
in 1914 as a hostage and carried into
France Another is a clergyman recently
expelled from Alsace. The delegates will
ask the National Assembly TO demand
the application 10 AlsGce OF President
Wilson'S principle of self-determnation.
I'VE have a right to demand this "
Gen. Scheuch said. "and also to demand
that the plebisc!te be honestly con-
Quoted"
Tie composition OF the Cabinet appears
TO be the principal problem commanding
the attention of the new German law
makers The original proposition was to
form Ministry OF fifteen members,
seven of whom should be Majority So
cialists, four Centrists and four Demo-
Gratis. The Majority Socialists. however.
are now understood to be contendins that
they should be certain to have a major
ity which the Independent Socialists cam
Can finMcn nn Second Dana