New-York tribune., 1919-01-18
TW0 Stain Rutlicuis
Had Stormy Careers
Spreading Doctrines

In less than twenty days after his
release from the prison in which lie
had spent two years of the war. Dr..
Karl Licbknecht with Rosa Luxem-
burg. lit the fame Of political passion
II which both were to be victims along
with hundreds Of their fellow terror
lists
Liebknccht was released from the
fortress. to which he had been sem
fenced for four years in 1916, on Oc-
comparatively moderate Socialist sup
rcrters rose to power on the ruins
OF the lohcnZollern autocracy. little
more than a fortnight later. he and
Rosa Luxembourg organized and became
the leaders Of the violently dissenting
minority. which came. to be known as
Spartades. When Radck. the fiery
young Bolshcvil cxhorter, clipped into
kcrlin TWO weeks ago to heartcn them
TO the point of starting civil war. they
determined that the time was ripe to
try the Lcnine-Trotzky system of pop
ular rule by machine gun on the Ger
mans.
Licbknccht, however. appeared 80
lack Che qualities of leadership; he
was effective only as an agitator, and he
vie elded at last to the woman, wko was
once the chief editor Of "Norwaolts," ="
the Socialist newspaper. in whose
building the Spartacide movement eX-
pired Saturday night under shower
cf shells and bullets thrown upon them
by forces cf the Ebert government
Alienated Own Socialists
Long before this Socialists of the
riost radical type even in his own coun-
Try had become alienated from Licb-
Anecht. Herman Greulich, father of
the Socialist movement in Switzerland,
declared that he had gone wild, while
others asserted that the only difference
between the Bolshcviki and the Iieb-
knc chit Luxembourg group was that
ure the temper Of their own country
men, whereas neither Leibknccht nor
the woman. who later became his chief,
"as able to appreciate the fact that
What the ntrospective Russians we're
willing 10 accept IN the name of liberty
would not be tolerated by the Germans.
Liebknecht. on visit to this Coun-
Try in 1910, declared that the Socialists
II his country mustered million more
adhcrcnts than any other party. But,
as stated by kautsky. a formcr asso-
clate, in a recent interview, he did
not realize that they were not all
anarchistic Bolsheviki.
Liebknccht always posed as a Social
st, becoming an avowed exponent Of
Eolshcvik principles only after the Use
Of the Socialist government under
Ebert in Berlin. Rosa Luxembure was
always .rankly the anarchist.
Father Was RevoIutionis:
Licbknecht inherited his radicalism.
he was born and reared in an atmos-
thcre Of political agitation and OPP
position to all forms Of authority. but
his adoption of Bolahcvik principles
apparently was Il development Of hi 3
last prs on experience and synchronous
with the rise Of Leninc and Trotzky in
i.ugsia
His Iull name was Karl Paul August
Friedrich Liebknccht, and he was born
N 1871 .at Lcipsg. the son Of William
Liebknccht, who was in the revolution
Of lSd8 and served more time in prison
or cxile even than his son.
Like his father. he came frequently
into collision with governmental au-
thorities The Germap police were
well-known yisitors at SIs house
in 1907, while he was practicng as