New-York tribune., 1919-02-04
Ebert Declares
He Will Reject
Crushing Peace
German Premier Protests
Trend of Parley--Says
Nation Will Save Self
By Elias Tobenkin
New York Tribune
Special Gable Service

NeU York Tribune
Special Gable Service
Copyright. 1919 New York Tribune Incl
BERLIN, Feb / Via Copenhagen).-
Premier Ebert, head of the German
government, to-day received The Trib-
une correspondent, and during an ex-
tended interview said:
"By the terms of the ntntibtice Ger.
many already has swallowed worse
conditions than those imposed upon
France in 1871. Yet the peace confer
ence keeps swinging further away from
the original Wilson conditions. The
Entente has taken our coal lands and
disorganized our transportation to
point near to paralysis by the demand
for locomotives.
"lf it is the intention of the Entente
to impose upon the German people the
sort of peace which will crush the
country and undermine our national
life, /, for one, viii not sign such q
peace, come what may, and l think my
colleagues in the government will do
likewise"
Thinks Outlook Bright
What is the outlook for stable
German government ?" I asked.
Herr Ebert replied:
Your question is best answered by
the fact that on February the Ma
tional Assembly meets at Weimar. On
the first day of the revolution the
provisional government issued a proc
lamation promising a Constituent As
sembly and the assembly is here in
less than three months after that day.
"The National Assembly has been
brought about by the finest election
system in the world and gives the Ger
man people an opportunity to frame
the conditions of their life with com
pletest independence. The National
Assembly will wiring our nation from
the claws of terrorism, which sought
to force dictatorship upon the nation,
Junkers TO Be Powerless
"In fighting terrorism we are careful
not to limit in any way the democratic
Will of the people. Our suffrage is un-
cloudcd by arbitrary limitations. In the
National Assembly the old junkers Will
be completely powerless. On the other
hand every possibility o. coalition
between the Social Democracy and the
Democratic party in Germany is in it
self proof of the basic changes the
nation has undergone. There is not a
trace of the old kaisersm left In
dividuals who still regret the departure
of the old system are me~e fossils who
stand outside the main current of Ger
man life"
Industries To BE Socialized
In reply to my question as to how
far Germany is going to be Socialist
republic, Herr. Ebert said:
"The German government is Social
advanced policy for the protection o.
labor and the specialization of those
industries that arc ripe for socializa-
ton. For the time being the govern
ment is concerned chiefly with the
problems OF protecting the workers in
the German industries shattered by the
war and the chief need of which now
is building III. When industries are
returned to normal the specialization,
of the railroads, coal mines, electric
and similarly monopoNstic industrie
wiA follow.
"Amepe reforms in behalf Of labor
the government has already instituted
the s-hour day for all workers. includ.
ing city and federal employees. Farm
workers, whose legal protection is
Continued on nert pagc