The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-26
Country Full Of Troops and
War Munitions Are in Pro
fusion to Alarm of
Pacifists.
BoLsHEv1sM rs CAUSE
Million Men Could BE Mustered Along
Week II Found
Necessary.

BERLIN, April "a, 10y nall-)-olnce
It's birth the German republic has had
to decide between two opposite ex-
tremes to maintain itself and keep
from being overthrown by the raol-
calls.
The two courses open, as the EBERT
Scheidemann cabinet saw them. were:
/. Bowling to the demands of the
proletariat and becoming radical. al
most to the extent Of communism, or
ar least extreme socialism.
| 2. Becoming mi1itaristc and follow
ing the methods of the old German
government of crushing opposition by
force.
More and more it is becoming clear
that the cabinet chose the latter
course, probably in self-defense, and
under the pretext Of saving Germany
from bolshevism.
What is more serious, both to the
Germans and other peoples, is that
| the German republic is becoming
handy with militarism, and under the
cover of resisting bolshevism" is
evidently trying to hide the strength
Of the republics military machine.
Figuring that the new republic, if 1t
were really pacific, would be willing
70 make a Showdown of Germany
military strength to convince the out
side world of good intentions, the
United Press correspondent asked the
war Office for some data.
Finally the war office sent for the
correspondent and an agreeable young
captain, explained how weak Germany
ID at present, militarily. He said Ger
nany could not even resist the DOL
sheviks, II the latter chose to rise.
! Asked what the actual strength OF
the German forces is, the captain re-
piled that the war office itself did not
/ know. This ignorance of the war Oh
flee, he explained by the fact that
numerous leaders were organizing
new volunteer units. The captain de-
clined to guess the strength OF the
German forces on the grounds that ne
did not want the figures published
"for fear the bolsheviks would see
how weak the militia is and overthrow
II"
/ Every man in the army is a volun-
teer, according to the war office. Ber-
lin Is crowded with soldiers scattered
over the city, but this is due to the
fact. says the war office, that mem
bers of the old army regulars who are
no longer on active duty, have % De
housed, Hence the crowded barracks.
The war office offered no explanation
as to why these men were fed and
housed, though inactive, and the &C
tive work of guarding Berlin is done
largely by provincial troops.
Enlistment is indefinite, in the vol
unteer units, with the condition that
man can leave the militia upon CIV
ing four weeks notice. Every unit has
band, many of the first rate. GUARDS
with rifles ready are everywhere, ano
auto trucks armed with machine guns
roam about the city in search Tor
trouble. Barbed wire barricades are
not removed from many streets since
the last fighting.
| Except for a wave Of crime, rob-
berry and plundertng, which swept Ber-
lin the last week in March, Berlin, is
we'll protected. The war office is
| busy and rushing. Swank officers are
numerous and are as monocled ana
military as in the old days. Demo
cracy Is manifested, however, In the
agreeable way the war office treats
| outsiders-a new thing in Germany:
| So much for what the war of1lce
wanted United Press readers 10 De-
lieve. What the war office aid not
give out through the agreeable cap
tain was gathered through a major
who has been converted to pac1llsm-
He sought out friend high up In the
war office and secured some rlrst
! hand information, because he believed
publicity might lead to action when
NAV prevent the re-birth of mll1tarlsm
| III Germany.
The friend In the war office re-
marked in answer to the majors
ouery as to Germany's strength,
"WelI. we could muster million men
along the Rhine in less than week
THEY'D have plenty Of cannon and
machine-guns and ammunition to hold
out for a while, in pinch
The "higlr up" said Germany has
more than two-hundred seventy-fiVe
thousand helmeted men under arms,
in actual service now. OF these, sew
entv thousand are in Berlin, sixty
| thousand are In the Rhur district,
Guarding the industrial district, sup
nos eddy, and the remainder are scat
| tered between the Polish front and
other cities in which disturbances are
expected.
A noticeable feature is that the
majority of troops are not along the
bolshevik front, but are scattered over
the country The government evil
IDENTIFY fears radicalism much more
from within than from without The
government is determined to crush all
opposition. Practically all of Ger
many is in state Of siege. This state
has never been lifted from Berlin.
There are thirty thousand reserve Off
GERS in Berlin, all registered and with
in call.
An additional source of troops is the
sc-called CITIZENS guard" civilians
who are ready to report on call, under
government orders. The war office.