Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-10
HOW IMPERIALISM COLLAPSED
Incidents Described by Man Who
Knew and Understood.
REVOLUTION SUCCEEDED ARMY DEFEAT
The Newspapers of Germany Knew
What Americans Were Doing; But
the Government Was Not Willing to
Tell the People the Truth Until Con-
ceaIment was No Longer Possible.


Lokal Anzeiger, speaking recently OF
Wilhelm Hohenzollern, erstwhile Kali
ser of German, in an interview granted
Lowell Thomas, representing the New
York Evening World. Mr.. Lorenz was
once a newspaper man in New York
city, and his discussion of the German
revolution and the causes that led UP
to 1t has the novelty of showing some
appreciation of the American point OF
view. He says the Germans thought
the Kaiser lacked backbone, and even
his close friends said discreetly that he
was a coward. Then when 1t was an
nounced late in the summer by Luden-
dorff that the army was about through
and an early peace would be necessary
the feeling against the Kaiser became
intensified and on all sides rose de-
mands for his immediate abdication,
as it was felt he stood in the way OF
peace. Hohenzollern, however, hung
on, as might have been expected Of a
party laboring under the delusion that
he was holding his job as result of
direct action on the part Of the Su-
preme Being. According to Lorenz, 1t
was this reluctance on the part of the
Kaiser to give up his throne that
plunged Germany into the revolution
and reign of terror which has since
prevailed there. Says Mr.. Lorenz:
l don't think the Kaiser really favor
ed war. The war was represented to
the people as one of defense, and every
one believed we had been compelled
to fight for our national existence. We
are not a political nation. You can tell
us anything.
The moment it became apparent that
we had lost the war, the revolutionary
current became strong. Everything
had gone smoothly in the big fighting
from March to July. In the middle of
July came the first defeat, when we
were thrown back. We had got dis
patches telling US that 100000 Amer
lean soldiers were in France, but we
were not allowed to publish them. A
month later we couldn't keep the
truth back any longer. Then the gov
ernment announced that it was the
Americans who were responsible for
our reverses.
1t was about July Is when it became
generally known that something had
gone wrong. Countless rumors were
being discussed by the agitated popu-
lation. To counteract this, the govern
ment undertook a propaganda cam
paign to persuade the people that our
retirements on the western front were
of no Importance. Admitting the pres
ence of big American force, it de-
clared we could not possibly be driven
out of France in less than two years.
The death-blow was the collapse of
Bulgaria. From that moment it was
impossible to deceive the people any
longer. Ludendorff came to Berlin
with the statement that the game was
up. This soon leaked out and then
came the moral break down Of the
nation. Although Ludendorff's par
alyzing announcement had become
common gossip, and certainly every
newspaper reporter knew of it, the
press never mentioned it until they
announced, a week later, that an arm
istice had to be asked for.
From then on it was understood that
the Kaiser must go. Representatives
to this effect were made to the gov
ernment but the emperor took the
stand that he was in duty bound to
stay. He declared thc army would
break down instantly if he abdicated.
This was another stupendous blum
der. 1 verify believe that if Wilhelm
had stepped down about Oct. 3 there
would have been no revolution. With
him and the crown prince out Of the
way, it would have been possible to
establish liberal, democratic govern
ment under the rulership of prince
regent. The few days thus lost were
fatal to any such plan.
On October the socialists declared
they would leave the government un-
less the Kaiser abdicated within twen-
ty-four hours. The moderates ex-
tended the time another twenty four
hours, but when additional delay was
asked, the radicals refused to comply
They notified Ebert and Scheidemann
that the revolution would begin on the
9th.
But Wilhelm just couldn't make up
his mind to quit the job he had held
so long. His severe mental struggles
in this connection have been described
time and again in story and song. 1t
was the bitterest moment of his life
In the meantime the revolution was
brewing, and finally it came, among
other unpleasant things delivering a
violent kick in the direction of the re-
calcitrant Bill, which landed that gen.
tleman in Holland. The account of
what happened is thus set forth:
The revolution actually started be-
fore the elapse of the second twenty
four hours given the Kaiser in which
to abdicate. On the morning of the
ninth, Elbert and Scheidemann went
TO the Reichstag TO take over the gov
ernment before the radicals could get
ahead Of them. At eleven o'clock they
had agreed upon a program and an
hour later had received Prince Max
the nomination Of Elbert as chancellor.
In response to an emergency call, a
meeting of Majority Socialists,
Liberals, and Centrists assembled to
complete the work begun by Ebert and
Scheidemann. No definite agree
ments were reached that afternoon,
however, as the Majority Socialists
were a little afraid of the radical
wing. They had given assurances that
the Independents would be included
in the new government, but the Inde-
pendents had refused to participate
with the Liberals and Centrists
At 8 p. m. Schiedemann made a
speech in front Of the Reichstag, an
nouncing the new German Republic.
lot