The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-04-02
GEN. LUDENDORFF
WAS MASTER MIND
NEWSPAPER SAYS HE SPREAD
FINELY WOVEN NET OVER THE
GERMAN EMPIRE
TO ORGANIZE NEW CABINET
Labor to Have Strong Voice in New
Neutrality-suspicious. Headquar-
ters Admit Having Sustained
Heavy Losses in Fighting

Berlin March ~. - The Tagebatt
Yesterday denied. on authority of the
chancellery, that warrant has been
issued for the arrest of General Luz
dendorff. as recently reported.
The part played by General Luden-
dorff in the events leading up TO DR..
Wolfgang Kapp's coup are not yet
clear, but it is asserted that he was
the master mind of the plot. 1t is
recalled that the day after kapp's en-
fry into Berlin the anti-socialist Straas-
burger Zeitung, under the caption,
Fall of the Jews Government open
lv named Ludendorff as the leading
spirit of the revolt
The Frankfurter Zeitung speaks OF
''the finely woven net spread over the
whole empire by Ludendorff," who, it
saws. had planned a later date for the
outbreak. but did not hesitate to take
the helm when events precipitated
themselves. This paper adds
Knapp is too much civilian in
ideas and methods for LudendOrff, who
has again shown himself to be man
of ruthlessness and frightfulness and
it is only due to technical incapaclty
that the disaster did not assume
greater proportions and that general
massacre was avoided.
The Zeitung Ammitti says the plot
originated in the spring of last year
but was twice postponed. The lead
~ Colonel
Bauer, LudendOrff's intimate friend,
and Captain Pabst They were after
ward Joined by DR.. Kapp and Major
General Won Luettwitz.
The plan, according to the paper
was to provoke a military revolt last
lime when the Versailles treaty was
before the national assembly at Wei
mar: Signature was to be refused by
the new government and Won Luett-
WITT was supposed to have the sup
port of a majority of the. officers
corps. TO avoid the appearance OF a
monarchistic plot it was intended TO
offer Gustave Noske the dictatorship
hut Noske, who soresaw failure, per-
suaded Won Luettwitz to desisf.
Won Luettwitz assented, but bided |
his time. and the malcOntents organ
lied system of. intelligence for peri
odically testing the spirit OF the
troops and utilized the enforced re-
duction of the army to weed out the
uncertain elements, retaining only
those considered safe. Last August
Won Luettwitz believed the time had
come but his own friends dissuaded
him. as the undertaking was held to
be too dangerous. The present coup.
the third attempt, was prepared with
the utmost secrecy. Won Luettwitz
suddenly sprung on President Ebert
his demand for a strengthening of the
army and preparations for war of
revenge. Ebert attempted to treat the
affair in an off-hand manner, but
Noske. who was minister of defense.
brought matters to a head by sum
marily dismissing Won Luettwitz.
Berlin. March 27.-The cabinet of
Premier Bauer has resigned. Herman
Mueller the foreign minister, has been
authorized by President Ebert to or
ganize new cabinet.
vorwaerts announced that in defer
ence TO the unanimous wish of the en- |
tire social democrat party Henry J
Mueller has consented to form a new
ministry.
The resignation Of the Bauer cabi-
net, it is. said was due to pressure $
from the labor federation. which has {
been exceedingly discontinued with
the governments attitude since its re- /
turn from Stuttgart. 1t is stated that {
labor will have strong voice in the
new Mueller cabinet. "
Vessel. Rhenish Prussia. March o. n
The workmen's headquarters yester-
day admitted that heavy losses had r
been sustained in the fighting.
A feeling exists. particularly among
the military on both sides of the Rhine.
that the w0rkmen. generally described j.,
as Spartacists, have not really been :
defeated. but are playing game, per- .
haps only harassng the reichswehr o
here to keep them in a state of siege .
while a similar attack is being plan 9
ned elsewhere. Or it is considered ;,
likely their forces are being organ .
lied for a military campaign on a =
wider scale to support the political 6
power of the workmen already effec- 9
i've in most cities of the Ruhr dis a
-rict
~