New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-12
The German "Communard''


The Bolshevist uprising in Berlin is
tempered by German psychology Berlin
been no instruction there since the DAYS
Of 184S when the students and bour-
geoisie, not the proletariat, surrounded
tie royal castle, terrified King Frederick
William ", compelled him to fraternize
with them and to apologize abjectly for
having ordered his troops to shoot down
the rioters.
The rising of 1S4S ended in a gro
tesque comedy of reconciliation. Possibly,
since Liebknecht is now reported dead
and Ledebour negotiating with the Ebert
government for settlement, the indie
pendent Socialists will again attach
themselves to the Majority Socialist gov
eminent and leave backsliding Boil
shevism to its fate
There is no sign in Berlin so far of the
turbulence which marked the operations
l..
the Spartacides and the Ebert-Scheide-
mann group are merely playing at mill
tary ruthlessness. Hand organs grind
in the streets of Berlin and sightseers
crowd the central section of the city
while fighting goes on for the possession
Of public buildings and newspaper Of
fees. There is little bloodshed and no
incendiarism
The government would only have to
lift its finger to call in Hindenburg or
Groener with artillery which would blow
the Spartacan strongholds to pieces. But
1t is using machine guns and fire hose
instead Ebert, Scheidemann, Noske
and Landberg say in a proclamation to
the Berliners: Have patience for yet
little while. Be confident, as we are con-
fdent Take your places with frmness
beside those who bring you freedom and
order The organized might Of the peo-
PIE will make an end Of suppression and
anarchy"
But the organized might of the people
IS not being supplemented with any
Aapoleonic whit of grapeshot" And
newspaper correspondents and other in
Festlgators have to look closely to dis
cover the bullet marks on the buildings
n Inter den Linden and Wilhelm
strasse.
Inc German proletariat is still unwar-
IKE in its habits. Dr. Muhlon said that
'ae whole German nation was essentially
unwarike. 1t is so, whenever it is re-
'eased from the bonds of military dis
e'pine DR.. Muhlon also said, discuss
ing the German atrocities in Belgium,
nat the average German could not COM
9Fehend the impulse which led civilian
IN occupied territory to offer resistance
81 any sort to the army of occupation.
lae average German is spellbound be-
lore the insignia Of authority.
IL is probably only because the Ebert
government has been so lacking in the
outward manifestations Of authority
mat Liebknecht and the Spartacides
aaye been able to make the Roadway
'ney have made against it. Ebert and
Scneldemann renounced the use Of force
20 long that the puny Bolshevist minor
ny became arrogant.
ret force is the one thing which the
herman mind intuitively respects. The
N@iser became panic-stricken fugitive,
1'fgetful Of dignity and of imperial ap-
p<afanees. when he suddenly found that
~ Was IN the power of the Allies. The
Ds'hn Boisheyist mob is equally cow
@'a'g al heart. 1t is conducting an in
s1Ffeetior which simply apes the terror
I'm " the Petrograd and Moscow proIe
tariats.
evidently this insurrection continues
2 nod place on the first pages Of the
'~@spaperg largely becauge the govern
'ssps at which It IL directed also lacks
sss'adenee in Itself ard itg fortuitous au-
s"efitv. Mob and government alike have
s. ee'staetegisfles Ct what MHhIon called
- ~reat German herd still dominated