The sun., 1919-01-19
Radical Blocked Plot to
Photograph Him by Prus-
sian Officers Side.
SADDENED BY HORRORS
Socialist Lacked Political Sa-
gacity, as Attempted Re-
volt in 1915 Showed.
ny KARL II. wIEGAyD,

NO, No. Please don't! I protest.
This is no place for comedy with those
rave dead underneath those rocks!
For me this is a world tragedy"
Dr.. Karl Liebknecht, destined to be-
come the revolutionary leader of the
German Bolsheviki and himself TO go
down In the world tragedy" put UP
his hands against the attempt Of an
American correspondent to snapshot
him His small black eyes blazed with
Indignation. his long, thin. nervous
hands waved in his characteristic wS,d
manner when he Is excited and his
tGh thin, screechy voice protested vo-
ciFerously against being photographed
on that scene and amid the trappings
Of war
The death OF Liebknecht recalls to
my mind that scene in all its vivid de-
tails. as we'll as my last talks with
him later in Berlin.
Followed Trail OF War.
It was at hege in August, 1914. very
soon after the Germans broke through
the Eirdle OF forts and took the city.
Together with number of other cor
respondents had followed the blackened
tran cf the German invaders that led
from tho German border to the fortified
Belgian Industrial centre engirded by
ten forts.
II required no Indian trailer to find
sni follow the path into Belgium. There
were marks OF war everywhere-snoke
biaokoTrd skeletons OF brick buildings
and swouldering ruins, while from the
man! remaining houses on both sides of
the Highway floated hundreds OF once
WI but now grimy bed sheets, pillow
cases and towels on poles from windows
fnd doors as token of submission and
as plea for don't shoot" On some
OF the houses there was scrubbed in
large letters. Here live good people"
In L.'ge l met Liebknecht. He told
IRE y" was war correspondent" for one
OF the German Socialist papers Later
a. the day he confided to me that he
was using Journalism more as n cloak
20 afford him the opportunity of study
Ing the Invasion Of Belgium on the
ground.
We all paid our respects to the Mill
tary Governor of Iiege at his head
quarters at the beautiful City Hall One
Of my souvenirs is snapshot of Lieb-
iHecht talking to the stern looking Mill
tary Governor, still at;ired in the former
colorful uniform and ''pickelbaube," or
Hack helmet. with brass trimminss
Officers Attentive to Liebknccht.
l. was Immediately observable that
the Military Governor and other officers
were very attentive to Liebknecht and
laid themselves out 10 be nice and defer
entail to the Socialist Herr Abseori-
meter" as member of the Rechstag
Is called This attention from Prussian
officers Of high rank to a Socialist leader
as so unusual that it attracted the at
ten'ion Of the entire party. Liebknecht
himself remarked upon II to me. They
want to impress upon me the tremendous
might OF the military power" lie said.
The party drove out to the surrendered
o. destroyed forts in four automobiles
liebknecht and l had one car TO our
selves Liege itself showed few marks
al tho battle that took place at it's
gates 1t was not until we reached the
forts that we saw what had happened.
Fort Laucin had been destroyed al
most by single she'll. \ AZ centimeter
had penetra ted the magazine and blown
rp the entire fort. There was little
moro than a crater like hole fifty feet
Gtep win nuSe DloCkS OF concrete ana
twisted steel and iron lying about
\ German Colonel OF artillery, in COM
nand now OF the Notifications. Confided
q the neutral correspondents that the
military authorities would very much
ne - Get a picture Of the Herr
ArEccrd1eter Iiebknecht here amid
tN"se surroundings. We think It would
b. very good propaganda against him
em"u- the Socialists to show pictures OF
fim together with military Officers. |
hope You will assist me in the little
strata sem"
Liebknecht Sees Ruse.
Tho Colonel then told us that after we
had Viewed the ruins he would call us
or 20 ole OF the big boulders OF con-