The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-02-08
WARNS
ENTENTE NOT
To CO TOO FAR
DEPEND ON WILSON
FOR A JUST PEACE
German Constituent Assem-
bly, Opens at Weimar-
Ebert Cheered.

WEIMEk, Thursday, Feb. 6.-(By the
Associated Press. .)-The opening Of the
National assembly. this afternoon was
impressive for its solemnity. earnest
ness and simplicity. Chancellor Epeft 8
opening speech. the delivery or Whch oc
cupird q half hour, was frequently ln-
tcrruptcd The court theatre was tnFonS
cd long before the appointed time. .ne
Berlin policemen assigned to Weimar
kept th.. huge crowd outside from INFER
f,riny with the arrival Of delegates and
others entitled 10 attend
l, was q democratic looking crowd.
vol Inuugh plainly dressed. that shu1-
! fled its way through the slush ahd snow
of Wcirnar's streets to the theatre 1o1
ryeryune walked, save Que carriage anu
one automobile purity.
The women were the distinct curiosity
of m, afternoon and the only m1rth1ul
event at the opening Of the session was
a hesitancy followed by a shlll ehceeo
J ..vcs' of acqulcSccnCc as the lHSI Will
ans name was called
Herr Ebert received only brief oVa-
tion ON his entry. He found hinsen
so heckled by independent socialists tnae
ne was forced III the middle OF ms
suecch TO turn upon them with the oec-
| Ia ration that their disorder showed now
! little evil times had taught them
rh, chancellor touched upon points
sbe deemed essential and his voice poon-
! I'D high above the discordant snou1S oA
rho indeucndcnts when they tried to IN
;+nr-uut ll, aroused ap:Iaval when nc
hogan declaring: we have done 3oF-
/ "vcr with princes and mobiles by the
rracc Of God" He said the German
! U,:c nlc was now ruling itsell.
The,. was disapproval mixed Win
| anpro>.I wntrt he declared that tne Ee'-
/ ,ja;ton wculd decline responsibility -ot
th. shortage @, food and the defects In
! food II Gt:niary.
Need the chancellor continued. de-
Ivered Germany TO her enemies, out no
nrotested against being slave to Ger
! many's enemies for thirty, forty or
sixty years.
! "Ou- .rcmies declare they are fight
! ing Iujlitarisn, but rilltaTIsm mas oeea
dcthroned," Herr Ebert asserted, where-
upon an independent interposed AGAIN
! The speaker next took up the alN1ee4ce
. terms and branded them as unheared OF
| and ruthless. The whole house was with
| him when he protested against the e3-
pulsion Of Germans from Alsace ana the
| seauestration Of property.
Tho assembly broke into shouts OF
! indignation as the chancellor reterFeo
10 the eight hundred thousand prisoners
of war still held in captivity. All tnle,
he said. showed anything but spirit
OF conciliatton.
| We warn our opponents not to drive
us 10 the uttermost." he declared.
! Hunger Is preferable to disgrace ard
decu privation is to be preferred to
dlshonor."
! The Germans. he said. laid down their
arms with confidence in President VII
! son, and the present free government OF
' Germany believes it Is only its right to
| enter the league Of nations and work
! with real energy.
I'VE turn. therefore. to all the peo-
! ples Of. the world for Justice. We ask
! that our economic life be not destroyed.
. The German people had fought for inner
/ self-determination. 1t cannot be per-
! rccted from the outside"
! Herr Ebert was cheered when he
brought up the proposed union Of Ger
many and Austria. He said he hoped
that the bonds sundered in 1856 would
again be sealed and asked the house to
approve the movcR heartily.
J Following q st3o~E- appeal for German
unity, the chancellor declared that the
! provisional government had been tho
executor of bankrupt regime.