South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-11
5PARTACANS ARE
BIC PROBLEM Of
GERMAN NATION
Blind Fight Against Hidden
Enemies is First Task OF
New Republic.

BERLIN. March 20-CB Maid -
Crushing The Spartaclst movement is
the first and most immediate duty Of
the new German republic. according
10 Minister President Scheidemann.
Ills views are held by practically ev-
ervone I'm Germany. that does not be-
long 10 the Spartacan party. But
crushing the Spartacans is blind
fight against hidden enemies and the
trembling republic Is having a hard
time Of IL.
IL IS one thing 20 declare a war to
the finish against the Spartacans, as
Scheidemann did on behalf of the
government on Feb. q. and another
thins, 20 carry that war out. There
is no cIean-cut campaign 10 conduct,
except in regions where the Sparta
cans have stirred workmen into open
revolt. and there force cannot be
used until the issue has been made
clear, that people may not accuse the
government OF using arms against
hungry working people.
Hide Under Labor Cloak.
The Spartacan leaders have contin-
uaIy covered themselves under the
cloak OF labor leaders. More and
more Il is becoming increasingly
clear that Spartacism is not a labor
movement but "A political economic
struggle. Invariably the Spartacans
have begun their work as a strike or
a series OF strikes, inspired by prop
aganda directed against wealth and
the government. When the issue be-
came clearer, il was seen that the
struggle was not for the workman,
but that he had been used as a
means for political ends.
In a considerable degree, the Spar
tacan movement corresponds TO the
l. w. W. in America. except that il
Is perhaps less of the worker and
more of the world. Spartacan ideals
are not clear to anyone, and no two
opponents will give you the same ex-
PLANTATION. But, in general. they aim
at the distribution Of wealth among
the workers-abolitiOn Of govern
ment "a IS is known I'm civilized
lands-and in its place the estab-
hshment OF workers soviets who
shall rule. Politically it is an auto
cracy OF the "underdog," TO which
social strata every man. woman and
child should soon belong. according
10 Spartacan creeds. 1t would be a
general wipins-Out Of the established
order.
Depends on Hunger.
Comment ON the merits or demer-
it's OF this movement is unnecessary.
Familiarity with Spartacan or Dol
ahevik, or communist movements
shows that your point of view is tenn
pered by how hungry and how des-
perate YOU are. II is conceivable that
practically everyone. with the ex-
ception OF n few individuals or iron
Will, would become a Spartacan if
he were starved long enough.
This IS the position of Germany. OF
rather districts in Germany. which
the government is trying TO keep in
order. Factories which have been
paying high wages to munition work
ers have suddenly become idle. Food
becomes more and more scarce and
as suffering continues people be-
come more and more mentally boil
shevik. Along comes a Spartacan
leader and offers fifty marks day
and pays it too, to the man who viii
demonstrate and fight for freedom
from the government which has stoI-
en- the peoples revolution" as the
cry is worded 1t goes without say
ing that leader can get followers.
Dusseldorf Spartacan City.
To make the illustration more
real. place il i'm on actual and living
Dusseldorf, for example, for il has