New-York tribune., 1919-06-23

signature, the Centrists wavered and
imposed conditions, and the Democrats
temporarily baked any hope of a
majority by stubbornly persisting
against the extradition by the Entente
of the former Emperor and other Ger
man notables.
This was the stumbling block, for
the Democrats could not be budged
from the attitude which they held
through forlorn pride in the former
war lord and the belief that revolu-
tion would break out in protest by
the people should Won Hindenburg,
Ludendorff and other idols also be hu-
inflated
Count Won Bernstorff, the former
ambassador at Washington, played a
! prominent part in the proceedings, not
committee. but, according to persistent
rumor, as the possible successor Of
Count Won Brockdorff- Rantzau, head Of
the German peace delegation, for there
was powerful group that wanted him
to suffer the poetic justice of signing
the terms, after he had helped to
bring the United States into the war.
Won Bernstorff, however, resisted,
and, after having been appointed in
by Gustav Adolf Bauer, refused to &C
cept the appointment or have any,
thing to do with the matter.
Opposition to Treaty Weakens
Later in the day the Centrists
of the terms and expressed their will
ingness to sign. The Democrats also
weakened to such an extent that fifteen
OF their siXty-five members in the As
sembly went over to the side in favor
of signature.
The first ministry, headed by Herr
Bauer, lasted exactly one hour. 1t
crashed on the stubbornness Of the
Democrats and Won Bernstorff's fiat re-
fusal to head the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Dr. Dernburg, who had been
clared he could not cooperate. The
Democrats then reduced their demands
to one point, on which they were
adamant, namely, that the former Ger
man Emperor, Won Hindenburg and
LudendorF must not be delivered to
the Entente for trial.
Eventually the Bauer Cabinet was
reconstructed, with DR., Herman Muel-
ler, the Majority Socialist leader, as
Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Math-
las Erzberger as Minister of Finance
and Vice Premier.
Issue Left to Assembly
In MS HfSt speech IN the afternoon
Premier Bauer outlined his programme
to the peace committee of the Assem-
bly,. 1t was decided not to vote on the
question of peace, since the Cabinet
was distinctly peace Cabinet, but to
submit the question to the Assembly
Sunday for ratification.
Count Won Brockdorff -Rantzau will
leave Weimar tomorrow for vaca-
tion in his private capacity Count
Won Bernstorff will go on a.vacation a
Monday, unless the new Cabinet needs
his advice.
Herr Bauer, the new Premier, had
hitherto scarcely been mentioned for
Philip Scheidemann's position. Prior
to his appointment as Labor Minister
he was secretary of the labor unions
of Germany. He is rated as a long
headed, conservative Socialist, who is
reputed to have as much influence with
the workingmen as Carl Legien, head
Of the German Trades Union Confed-
GRAFTON. He was originally the choice
of the Socialist groups. He is forty
nine years old.
LONDON, June 22.-Commenting on
the precarious life of the new Cabinet
once peace is signed, the Reuter- cor
respondent in Berlin says that a mere
accident or a few abstentions may at
any moment result in it's defeat, as the
Centrist and Socialist bloc, on which it
depends, commands only 255 out of the
423 DEPUTIES