New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-24
Fear New COup
In Germany as
Assembly Ends
Political Discomfort Is
Rife; Militarists Are Agi.
tated as Result of Vic
tories of the Socialists
By William c. Dreher
Special Gable to The Tribune


Copyright, 1890 New York Tribune Inc J.
BERLIN, May 23. - The National
Assembly passed out of existence
rather ingloriously last week, leaving
IN its wake trail of disappointed
hopes. Although the assembly fulfilled
its appointed task in adopting a con-
stitution, and fulfilled it we'll as far as
that document is concerned, it failed
TO give political contentment to Ger
many even in the country's internal
affairs. AS result, fears of new coups
o,etat from both left and right con-
tlnue to cause anxious hearts,
The Kappiade revealed the reckless
spirit and the anti-republican senti-
ment which prevails in a dangerous
form among army officers, and subse-
quent events have served to widen the
chasm between the military and the
Civilian heads of the government. The
ruthless tactics of troops both in Ber-
lin and in the Ruhr valley have pro-
foundly deepened the antagonism OF
the people to the military authorities.
spirit were the two steps taken by the
assembly at its closing session. The
Majority Socialists joined with the
independents to force the abolition of
martial law-or, as it is called, the state
of siege-througho the country.
Vote to Stop Martial Law
Owing to the inability of the whips of
the bourgeois parties to gather enough
votes to overcome the Socialists. the
that it placed the government in an
embarrassing position in view of the
insistence Of the Minister Of Defense
that the country could not be governed
without the protection of exceptionally
stringent military law.
A crisis was forced in which the
overthrow of the government was i'm
minent, and the Socialists, to Offset
such catastrophe on the eve of the ma
tional elections, met in caucus and de-
cided to modify their abolition of the
state of siege by permitting the use
of martial law in three disturbed dis
tricts.
The second outburst against mill
tarsm came when the bill to abolish
military courts came up for passage.
The parties Of the right had been doing
everything in their power to wreck the
measure in order to save the last
stronghold of the militarists. The gov
ernment coalition and the Independent
Socialists, on the other hand, have been
doing their utmost to pass the bill.
Before a final vote could be taken the
Nationalist and Stresemann parties
moved to table the measure, and then
got up and left the hall before the roll
call count had shown that a quorum
was not present.
Anti-Militarists Gaining
Although the measure was thus de-
feated indefinitely, the cause of de-
militarization is making steady prog
ress. The internal administration in
Prussia has been undergoing steady
transformation in personnel. With the
impending appointment of Desuedekum
as Governor President of Hanover the
last of the men put in such Offices by
the Kaiser will have disappeared
All the men of the old regime have
been displaced by Socialists, Demo
Gratis and Catholics, and at the same
presidents have been extended to give
them authority over the military.
This silent revolution means that
henceforth no military commander can
take steps even to suppress disorders
without the specific authority of the
GovernorP President in his district or
on the orders of the government in
Berlin Under the regime of the ma
tional assembly, therefore, much has
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