The sun., 1919-03-19
DEFENDS EXECUTION
OF REDS IN BERLIN
War Minister Tells Diet Rebels
Tortured Captives Before
Staying Them.
LAUDS KAISER'S ACTION
Socialists Warned Not to In
interchangeable Gain
in Elections.
LAUDS KAISER's ACTION
BY the Lssocrofsd Prsss.

BERLIN, March II (delayed). K Col.
Rejnhardt, the PrussIan War Minister.
defended the Government troops to-day
IN a speech In the Diet against the
charges OF brutality In the Berlin riot
ing. He declared the summary execu-
ton order OF Gustav Noske. Minister OF
Defence, directed at rebels with arms In
their hands was required by the situa-
tion.
Col. Reinhardt was continually inter-
rupted during his speech by bowls and
vitriolic remarks BY the Independent So
clalists. Answering the allegations OF
the Independents and Communists tina.
they intended the general strike to be a
peaceable one. and did not desire the use
OF force. Col. Reinhardt said:
How do such vast quantities Of weap-
ons happen to come into the hands Of
the criminal insurrectionists? How do
even cannon get into the hands Of So
called innocent persons, and how is Il
that those weapons are regularly sup
piled with ammunition 30
Makes Torture Charges.
Col Reinhardt recalled the repeate or
ders OF the Government for the surren-
der Of all weapons In unauthorized hands
and declared that Notwithstanding these
orders the Government troops found on
Sunday In the single small suburb of
Adlershof twenty-seven machine guns,
$50 rifles. 2.32l bayonets and ATS, 900
cartridges, The War Minister saia tnat
the Government troops Of a single divl-
sion had lost twenty officers and eighty
men UP to Thursday and he charged that
some OF these had been tortured by the
insurgents.
Col. Reinhardt assaIled Adolf Hoff-
mann, Minister Of Education, for term
ing former Emperor william a deserter.
ANY other decision which the Kaiser
| could have made on that eth of Novem-
ber." said the War Minister. must
| necessarily have led TO further sanguin-
| airy fghting and to further sacrifices
| whether in battle against the enemy OF
In civil war. In order to prevent this
in other words, through pure humant
| tartan and patriotic feelings, the Kaiser
went TO Holland"
| Socialists Get Warning.
| Paul Hirsch, the Minister President
added his warning to the Independent
Socialists present that 1t depended upor
| them whether there must be a renewa
| OF Minister Noske's decree.
80 long as II Is a matter OF an In
tciloetual movement by the Spartacans.
Herr Hirsch declared. the Government
will meet this with Intellectual weapons
but crude force will be met with force.
The Diet at Munich was opened to
day to the accompaniment Of a stroni
military display. according to a Municl
despatch to the Zeitung Am Mittao. Al
the entrances to the building wer
strongly guarded and machine gun
posted. on the roof. Militia and polio
were distributed throughout the house
The deputies and the newspaper mel
were searched for arms before the,
were allowed TO enter. No one wa
allowed In the galleries, except the pres
gallery
Bourgeotsie Make Gains.
The Bourgeoisie parties have mad
gains in the municipal elections in Dus
seldorf and Halle. In Dusseldorf tn
Bourgeoisie elected ffty-nine member
OF the City Council. OF whom forty-thre
we're members OF the Clerical party
The Majority Socialists elected twelv
councilmen and the Independent Social
lists twenty-three.
The elections in Halle put an end I
the domination of the Independent So
cialists, who elected only thirty-seve
delegates to the Workmens Council. a
against thirty-six for the Bourgeoisi
parties, and twelve for the Ma jorit
Socialists.
In the elections to the Workmen'
Council at Kiel. the Majority Social
lists got fifteen members. the Bourgeoisi
parties eleven. and the Independer
Socialists four.
The Government Is faced with a dif
fcult problem In fixing the price OF brea
to be made from imported foodstufrs. tn