New-York tribune., 1919-11-17
Clash Promises
To End German
W ar Inquiry
Helfferich's Refusal to An
swer Question After Be-
ing Fined Adds to Fruit.
lessness of the Hearing
Bribery Laid to Deputy
Ex-Vice-C e-Chancellor's Batter
Is Accused of Aiding
Release of Prisoners
Neg York Tribune

Meg York Tribune
Special Gable .Se1'ricc
Copyright. 1919. New York Tribune Incl
BERLIN Nov l6.--The adjournment
sine die in wild confusion yesterday
Of the subcommittee investigating re-
sponsibility for the war may end the
hearings. When the chairman imposed
the fire of 800 marks (S75) on DR..
Karl Helfferich, formerly Vice-C Chan
cellor, Tor ueIying the court in re-
fusing to answer a question put by
the independent Socialist deputy,
Sohen' .s the whole assemblage Joined
meeting was declared ended
The fruitlessness of the inquiry is
pointed to by many as adequate rea-
son why it should be dropped. 1t is
understood that a meeting of the main
committee has been called to decide
what the subcommittee must do.
DR.. Helferich explained. after he
had been fined and an attempt had
been made to bring the session to
order by putting in Gotthein as tenn
porary chairman, why he refused to
ans yer Deputy Cohen's question
ing Consul Buenz, which Helferich
answered in a manner that implied
the United States government prose-
cuted Buenz.
Helfferich tccuses Cohen
Cohen put question which he said
was designed to throw light upon Dr.
HelFerich's logic. and it was then that
The onetime Vice Chancellor refused
20 answer and sought the support of
+he chair. DR.. Helfferich charged later
before the substitute chairman that
Cohen had taken Russian money and
had been partly responsible for Ger
many's collapse. He added that the
money had been paid to aid in the re-
lease of Russian prisoners
1t was this charge against Cohen
which brought the session to its high
est pitch and forced adjournment.
Clashes on the floor have been fre-
quent. On Friday DR.. Won Bethmann-
Hollweg and DR.. David clashed when
Df. David, representing the govern
ment. exc aimed that the policy of the
Nai er's Cabinet in agreeing on ruth
less submarine warfare without tell
ing TIE Reichstags Main Committee OF
B"rnstorIf's announcement of an i'm
Dlnent peace move by President Will
son had Ted the German people blind
folded into the war;
American Munitions Involved
Won Bethmann- Hollweg and Alfred
fon Zimmerman, formerly Foreign
Minister. jumped to their feet, but the
exc ancellor spcHe first. assailing Dr.
Davil Indignantly. insisting he could
not ~emain passive under such q
charge and demanding to know wheth-
ef the committee associated itself with
Dr.. Dlvld'S accusations.
The chairman said the committee
was drawing no conc usions at present.
Won Bethmann-H Holweg then inquired
whether the committee allowed eX<
PIE sions of opinion and critici M
SCI iuecking and Dr. Helferich held
long dialogue on the legal aspects of
the shipment Of arms to the Entente
by the United States. DR.. Helferich
contended the practice was unneutral
and that President Wilson was obli-
gated 10 prevent tie traffic as he did
n the case of Mexico.
schuecking asked DR.. Helfferich
whether he was aware that i'll various
wars Germany had sold arms and mu-
nitions to belligerents He specified
particularly the Boer War when the
sale of arms to England, he said, was
as one-sided as the American traffic.
Non Bernstorff interrupted to say t'Nat
The President was unable to make
merely Der,onal decisions, but had TO
be governed by public opinion.
Verbal Battle in Prussian Diet
BERLIN, Nov. IS (By The ASS 1ciated
Pressl.-A bitter six-hour verbal bat
tie was waged in the Prussan Diet
yesterday between government men,
Ders and representatives of the Con-
servatlves at the same hour when DR..
karl He,tferich was staging his reac-
tlonary rebellion against the sub-com-
mittee OF the National Assembly in
vest eating the war responsi Utilities.
Paul Hirsch, the Prussian Premier.
and DR.. K. W. ". Heine. Minister of
the Interior, led the attack for the gov
ernm mt, while Herr Won Graefe, Under
Secretary Of National Welfare. defend
ed the Conservatives and Ernst He'll
mann answered for the Majority Social
lists
Hirsch charged the reactionaries
We're using school Youths in their
Nopaganda, were melting mobs to
shtl-Semitic outbreaks and employing
,ae presence of General Won Hinden-
mnurg to provoke cfauvinistc outbreaks.
ne warned the Conservatives that their
cemons tration by the Extreme Left.
hirsch was equally severe in his de-
nunciation of the Independents and
.deir Communist appendage." He de-
sl saIel the Prussian government was
anted IN its determination to throttle
any attempt to provoke a political
general strike.