The Washington herald., 1919-02-03
FORCED KAISER
OUT, He CLAIMS
Philip Scheidemann, the
Noted Socialist, Shows
Letter He Wrote.
BY G. G. LYON.

BY c. c. LYON.
Paris. Feb. Put a pair Of she'll
Z PINNED spectacles on almost any old
time Kentucky colonel and you'n have
dead ringer for Philip Scheidemann,
famous Socialist leader of Germany.
scheidemamn has been the German
minister Of foreign affairs in the pro-
I visiouaI government and has just been
elected to the German National As
ssmbly and is proposed for one Of the
two delegates to the Peace Confer
Gce.
, Scheidemann actually looks more
like Kentucky colonel than he does
like himself The little Eoatee. the
: gray mustache and hair. the broad,
Eood-nstured smile. the hearty hand
shske-Scheidemann has 'em all.
. Talked for Hour.
When ! was in Berlin, saw
seheideuiann a number OF times, and
once ! sat down with him for more
THAN an hour while he told me about
. The political situation in Germany at
that time.
= palace, was the very room that was
once the private Office of Bismarck;
and the latter's big, fst-topped ma
hossny desk was being used by
-Scheidemann.
At Sne point during our talk,
sSeheidemann dug into his files and
brought out a letter.
1T was I who formally demanded
the abdication Of the Kaiser" he said,
land here Is a copy of the letter that
Il handed Prince Max of Baden, the
chancellor. with the request that he
give It TO the kaiser. When we learned
later that Max hadn't presented the
1ettsr. and my socialist associates
!, resigned from his cabinet and joined
in the revolution"
y Made Copy of Letter.
= ,Scheidemann had a copy of the
Letter made for me. 1t will doubt
: less become an historic document
in German history. 1t reads:
: ."Now, that the public has been
-srefused the opportunity by army
great headquarters to think or talk
eoc the retirement of the Kaiser. l
fiHd it my duty to discuss the ques-
ZION in the cabinet, and there I will
y ask the reichschancellor to advise the
Kaiser to retire of his own accord.
- There is no doubt that the greater
part of the German people are sure
that. il the Kaiser remains, the terms
! of the armistice and peace will be
more severe, and. OF course, the pub
Lie would then say that. rather than
sacrifice himself. he sacrificed the
whole country.
Saw Better Terms.
Z "It can. also. not be denied that
the terms of peace will be better for
US when the change in government
That has already been made is fol-
lowed by the retirement OF the
Kaiser. so that both our own people
sand those of other countries realize
.rlhst We mean business.
= 'fThe political situation Of the day
! makes it obvious that the KaIser's
kiicstion can be deferred, but that
Rscan only be postponed for a time.
-Therefore. ! think it better that he
ruTe first, rs many German states
men think the question is only one
: OF time"
Seheidemann then detailed the part
ne himself took in events leading up
10 the kaiser's overthrow.
1T was on November that I wrote
this letter. and at the same time de-
'hvered the ultimatum Of my party. -
he went on. The next day l called
Prince Max's secretary. who told me
there had been no answer.
Too Late. Fall Came.
-, ' But said the secretary to me
ss think we will have an answer
FOR you by noon. We think he (the
kaiser) will go.
TO this I replied: Tt is now toe
hate. 1t is no longer a question OF
the haiser's personality. Now tn,
whole monarchicaI system is going
TO go
- Before II o'clock that day 1 had
retired from the old government. In
the meantime. the revolution had
: begun. The workmen left the fac
tories, the soldiers their barracks
They met in the streets and an
bounced their brotherhood. At noon
Herr Ebert and 1 went to Prince
Max and demanded that the govern
ment be turned over to the Social
fstS He agreed, and asked Ebert
10 take over the government as its
mead. Ebert at first wanted to ask
his party if they would accept him
as leader, but I gave him every
guarantee that he would be accept
sols
Ebert, myself and representa-
Iyes of the Independent Socialists
then met to agree upon the new
Temporary government"
a~sdt was then that the cabinet OF
six was formed, which. With some
changes in personnel, has piIoted
the country through to the election
of q constituent assembly. which
will organize the future government