The sun., 1919-04-16
PRUSSIAN CHIEFS
EVOLVE VAST PLOT
Have Great Scheme to Re-
trieve Losses in East and
to Balk Allies.
BERNSTORFF RINGLEADER
Counts Peace Mission Work
ing Day and Night on Com
plicated Structure.
Special Gable Despatch 10 THE sQs from the
London Times Serrtce.

"P'''"' '""'o Do'Pufc" 70 iHh Sun JvoW the
London Times Service.
Copyright. 1918: ell rights reserved
THE HAGUE, April 15.---All German
observers agree that whatever may be
the motives of DR.. Schiffer's resignation
as Finance Minister, and whether DR.
Dernberg be his successor, no Individual
changes can at this hour affect tho part
the Weimar Government Ia called upon
to play until the ruling powers decide
whether Germany shall sign the peace
treaty at Versailles.
Behind the Government. behind the
new mushroom republics. behind the ru-
mors of strikes and riots, behind the
screen OF Bolshevism that. at the wore
OF command seems steadily to advance
from Moscow to Budapest, from Buda-
pest to Munich, from Munich TO Holland
Itself. there are at work two positive
inexorable agencies-the German army
headquarters at Kilberg and the German
peace bureau at Berlin.
The former is under Field Marshal
Won Hindendburg and Gen. Groener, nei-
Their OF whom has compromised himself
in any political sense, while the peace
bureau LIS directed by Won Bernstorff.
who has committed himself only to
sort of democratic by-play. which he
imagines may prove acceptable to the
transatlantic gallery.
Both Of these agencies are working
hand In hand for the restoration OF Ger
many's position in Eastern Europe by
every military and diplomatic means at
the disposal of the old regime.
Er.berger Claims Victory.
Herr Erzbergers personal account of
his tete-a-tete with Marshal Foch at
Spa makes 1t clear that the Germans
consider that over the Danzig question
they scored all along the line. Erzberger
claims to have made the Marshal climb
down from his pedestal. The so-called
railway strike at Danzig and the subse-
quent military occupation Of the lower
Vistuln railway system are designated to
make doubly secure the success gained
at Spa While Won Hindenburg Is as
surfing communications across the Wis
tuia. Count Won Bernstorff Is actively en-
gagged in creating in the two Prussians
the irredentist spirit which has already
proved Its efficacy as a DOGGY.
Thanks to the respite gained at Spa,
the Prussc-osr1nan patriots under the
general direction of Won Hindenburg and
Count Won Bernstorff are exerting every
ss;ort. first to consolidate the military
position in the Eastern marshes and be-
yond second. to recapture Riga and hold
II as pawn third. to conclude a preju-
dicial reciprocity treaty with Lithuania !;
fourth. to secure n lien on Jewish and
Protestant sympathies In Poland fifth, to
dispute tho Polish claims TO Posen, and
sixth. to neutralile Eastern Silesia-
For each Of these aspirations there
Is amply authoritative evidence. AS the
Allies failed to occupy Dansig stimuli
taneously with Cologne, Prussian mill
tarism has had every opportunity Of
concentrating its resources along the
lines where II Is at home and most re-
doubtable. The surviving flower Of
Prussia's broken armies and the pick
even Of submarine crews. with Won Let
tow-VOrbeck's East African veterans are
now concentrated on tho Polish front,
and this week the Chief of Stan OF the
Pruseian Guards Corps resumed In the
semi-offic!al German Gazette his ap-
peals for more volunteers against the
polish hordes."
Troops Well Equipped.
Tho discipline and equipment of these
troops fully conform to PruSian war
standards While tho Allies are solici-
tousiy engaged in feeding Berlin. sup
plies which ought normally to reach the
capital from eastern provinces are being
consumed locally by the enemy. II ever
the Prussian patriots should seek to re-
pudiate the odium OF concluding what
they call western peace they would
hnd In this eastern army n weapon
ready for their hand. Won Hindenburg
Is not making the mistake OF bottling up
his forces In the' narrow neck of East
Prussia they have been pushed up be-
hind the Lettish and Lithuanian screen
towards the Dvina. The immediate OBJ
ject is to deliver" Riga. In the first
place. land was promised to the volun-