New-York tribune., 1919-04-02
Red Z pl1eaval
In Two " eeks.
Berli1lers Say
Continued from page l

peace. Without these the whole bloody
country will blow up and the red flag
will sweep westward from Russia and
will engulf the whole of Germany"
On the Cologne Berlin express en-
route from Berlin yesterday a German
business man in my compartment
pointed to the cultivated fields and in
dustral establishments from our VIM
dow, emphasizing the horror Of turn
ing that" over to the Bolshevists. |
asked many newspapermen and Ger
mans themselves what was likely to
happen if the peace treaty gives the
Saar valley to France, Danzig to the
Poles, the German colonies to the vari-
Gus Allied nations, Schlcswig- Holstein
to the Danes, etc. Their general an
swer was; "The Ebert government can
never sign such q peace and stand"
"But what if it falls?" I asked.
"Thcn the Bolshevists will overrun
Berlin and most of Germany was the
answer.
Reporter To Be Airman
One Chicago reporter covering his
first assignment abroad, and like other
Americans making his headquarters at
the Adlon, has cabled his home office
for authorization to buy an aeroplanc,
which, he said, the government prom
ised to sell him cheap and throw in n
safe chauffeur" He will cover Boil
shevik Germany from the air, sailing
back to "unBolshcvistic islets,' if amy
exist, to send dispatches Like others
who visit the government Offices daily
for news, he is convinced that the gov
ernment is in serious straits and that
the salvation of Germany lies in Allied
food and the Allied peace terms.
Outside the Adlon Hotel, to the casu-
al observer, Berlin does not appear to
be a smouldering volcano. Prussian
officers, business men, women and chill
dren are going about their business
BY the taXimeter on my cab | rode
more than twenty-four kilometres over
the Berlin streets in the uniform of an
American officer, accompanied by an
American captain. After viewing many
buildings covered with rife and ma
chine gun shots in the areas of the
recent fighting, we stopped at a small
cafe. in the Frankfurter Alice, where
some warm fighting occurred.
People Look Well Fed
us that Berlin was starving and that
the Spartacides Will soon break out
again. Food, she said, was so high
that the people were being driven to
desperation while waiting for the AL
lied peace terms. But neither her
face nor the faces of thousands of
other Germans that stared at our AM
erican uniforms along the route showed
starvation. We were convinced that
Berlin is terribly short Of food and
that actual starvation exists in tene-
ment quarters but were advised not
to enter the latter districts as our
uniforms might start trouble.
In the Adlon Hotel lobby, where Am
erican and Prussian uniforms were
mingling with civilians, nattily
dressed man of slight build stroled
about chatting first with Germans and
then with Americans. He was Count
Won Bernstortf.
"What connection has BcrnstorfT
with the Ebert government?' | asked
Of an American army officer who had
"been in Berlin since December
ooh, he is in the background, giving
the government what aid he can," the
officer replied. "Ludcndorff is also here
as private citizen. Would you like
to meet Bernstorf? AL correspon-
dents have interviewed him. He is
very congenial. He will talk freely
and for publications.
Keep in Background
l declined the invitation to meet
Bernstorff and the officer added that
there were many officials of the old
government and officers of the old ar
army now in Berlin but they all keep
themselves in the background, like
Bernstorff and Ludendorff.
To an itinerant observer Berlin ap-
pears to-day to be suffering with "Bol-
shevitis" and most important OF all
one learns when he inquiries carefully
enough that the propaganda depart
ment of the Berlin War Ministry, like
Bernstorff, is still "giving the govern
ment what aid it can"
Want Soft Peace Terms
The department aids in convincing
the Berliners and visiting foreigners
that Germany must have easy peace
terms and must figuratively be slapped
on the wrist for the greatest crime
ever inflicted on the world. This prop
aganda seems to be highly successful
Whether this Bolshevik bugaboo has
frightened the Peace Conference
which is interested in having a stable
government in Germany to deal with
will not be known to the Ebert govern
ment until the star chamber session:
of the peace conferees are hnishec
and the full tcSms are submitted t,
the German delegates and made public
In the meantime the Ebert govern
ment is hanging by thread, you ar,
told here in Berlin, and the Bolshevist