Evening star., 1919-04-21
PRUSSIA M ENEMY
. OF MUNICH SOVIET
Bavaria Against BoIshevism,
and One Leader Invites
Entente Peace.
BERLIN'S DROLL PATHOS
By BEN HECHT.
BIZ hen HECHT.
Cablegrnm to The Evening Star ant
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1919.

Cablegrnm to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1919.
MUNICH, Bavaria. April IL (de-
layed).-The Bavarian soviet republic
is today standing on both feet pre-
pairing to fight for its life. Its enc
mics are innumerable.
First and most dangerous is Prus-
sia. Viewed from Munich. there is a
certain droll pathos about Berlin. The
frantic efforts of Berlin's politicians,
who are trying to convince Prussia
and the entente that Bavaria at pres
ent is wallowing in gore and inter
necine strife, and is slowly being re-
duced to a condition of aboriginal
chaos, contribute heavily to the droll-
cry of the situation.
The equally frantic efforts of an
other variety of Berlin's savants. who
are delivering themselves of strange,
ostrich-like speeches in an endeavor
to convince Prussia and the entente
that the Bavarian situation is mere
ly temporary tomfoolery of a small
clique of idiot Bavarians. is another
factor which in more normal times
might contribute to the mirth of ma
tionS.
Most Dangerous Enemy.
Yet the propaganda issued from
Berlin's WilhelmstrasSe, where sit
the one-time ballyhoo Of
the mailed fist and seekers after a
place in the sun. is Bavaria's most
dangerous enemy. 1 have vague
notion that truth about Bavaria is one
of the smallest exports from Germany
today. and 1 contribute the following
enlightenment, provided it escapes
the clutches of the Berlin censor. in
the interests neither of bolshevism
nor of socialism, but as a matter of
journalistic justice.
In the first place, Bavaria is not a
bolshevist republic. The present pro-
gram which the soviet governments
are earring out bears no resemblance
to the program instituted by Lenfn in
Russia. 1t is a mild, orderly and sci
entific experiment in socialistic theo-
Noske thmeselves espoused when
they were put into office by the peo-
pie. before they sold out" to the cap
italist and religious factions in Prus-
sia. The most indignant contingent
in Bavaria today is the radical COM
night Ernst Toller. who is now ruling
all of Bavaria. barring Nuremberg
and three adjoining centers, was ar
rested by the communist leaders after
addressing the communist assembly.
Toller's Characteristics.
can best give an idea of what the
soviet government is doing by quot
ing Herr Toller himself. who was re-
leased early this morning. 1 have in
terviewed him several times. He is the
of the general ideas prev
alent in the world as to the appear
ance off bolshevist leader Mild
hammered. with a sense of humor,
young, idealistic, opposed to all FORMS
of violence and devoid of the opti-
mism which some of his colleagues
revealed today. Toller was buster
than one-armed paper hanger with
the hives.
The scene in his office. which is the
center of the soviet government. is
one that can never forget. Working
men and women were all crowded d
there and all were calm looking. Ma
rines and uniformed soldiers with
moving hair and ties-every element
OF the proletariat and every variety
OF ldealist, dreamer and artist. In the
midst OF this incessant hubbub and
surrounded by unending deputations
from this. that and the other GROUP
of workers sits Herr Toller. He has
two secretaries. One is Kurt Eisner's
daughter.
Program for Country.
Here is Herr Toller's high-handed
confiscation program:
we nave formed a revolutionary
tribunal which sits day and night
There are twenty-eight in the tri-
ounai. seven members. Including one
woman. being always In session. The
first cases before the tribunal come
up today. They are not burghers or
monarchists. but five members of the
communist party accused of disarm-
ing policeman and taking his re-
volver and ammunition from him.
The socialization of the rural dis
tricts Is not in the hands of working
men. but has been placed in the hands
of farmers. The farmers council.
which represents SO per cent of the
peasants OF Bavaria. is working out
a system of distributing land in Ba-
varia- The working men are NOT i'm
posing any dictatorship upon them.
we have socialized our press In
the soviet newspapers the voice of the
bourgeoisie can be heard whenever IL
wants to express itself in print. The
columns of the soviet papers are open
twice week to the attacks. critf-
cisms and appeals of the bourgeoisie
1t is our purpose to make the press
not merely an organ of party politics
but an agent for the culture of the
proletariat. We have gathered the
best artists. poets and writer's on our
stats. We have also placed the mat
ter Of food distribution in the hands
of committee of landholders. peas
ants and farmers.
Will Accept Entente's Peace.
The entente Is undoubtedly being
melted against Bavaria by the Prus-
sian propaganda. The soviet of Ba-
varia is ready to sign peace with
the entente upon terms dictated by
the entente. We will not recognize
the peace signed by Prussian capital
lists at Weimar or in Paris. Bavaria
will not be opened up in ten days, but
we are working earnestly and scien-
tifically to bring about the elimina-
ton of poverty. injustice and disease
among the workers by socialiZins
not socializing small businesses or
factories. An employer employing
from ten to fifteen men goes on as
before"
There are many arguments against
socialism and in my talk with Herr
Toller l endeavored to air most OF
them. Prof Moritz Of Bonn and Prof
Lula Brentano of Munich could un-
doubtedly argue Herr Toller into q
state Of impotent grief on the ques-
ton of whether socialism is prac-
teal or not. After a week in Munich
and it's neighborhood it is my con-
viction that the Bavarian soviets are
in for many reverses, but that they
will eventually pull through and