The Washington times., 1920-03-13
Fatherland Party Is
Back of Revolution
~ FRANK CHARLTON
(ForelEn News Editsr. International


| News ServtceD.
| NEW YORK, March l3.--Counter
revolutionary agitations in Germany
against the government headed by
President Ebert have reached sud
den and successful climax. according
| to press cablegrams today from Lon
| don and Berlin.
| The first csblegram merely stated
| that a proclamation had been Issued
| in Berlin announcing that the estsb-
| lished government had ceased to exist.
There have been two currents of
| counter revolution in Germany. one
led by the royalists and militarists
the other by the Spartacldes or Boil
shevik sympathizers. The monsr-
chists have been increasing their ac-
tivities for the past few months. TAX
ing advantage OF every peace treaty
| development to infame the pcpulsce
and attempt to wean the army from
its support of the Ebert government.
| Army officers allied with the Father
land party have been conspirinS with
more less openness against the
government, despite the repeated as
| surances OF Minister of Defense Gus
tave Noske that he pad the army well
in hand.
The Fathcrland party is coalition
of militarists. royalists, junkers. and
| Prussian conservatives. 1t has con-
| sistcntly opposed any and all peace
conce ssions to the allies. Will" fieIo
Marshal won Hndcnburg and Genera
Ludendorh were not openly affiliated
with this Prussian organization. tn"
chiefs Of the party looked to them as
| leaders"
The aim of tho Fsthcrland party
has been to restore the monarchy In
Germany. Whether or not they hoped
| to retnrn the ex-Kaiscr or the former
German crown prince to the throne is
not definitely known, but II is certain
that they had secretly picked some
member OF the Hohenzollern family.
1t Is more than probable that the
leaders of the monarchist movement
| have been in secret communication
with the rcactionarics in both Hun
gary and Turkey. and that the con-
spiracy contemplated military agira-
| tions in the Near East to detra":
the allies attention from middle Eu-
rope.
1t is not unlikely that the Prussian
| junkers allied with the monarchis;
party inspired some of the recent at
| lacks against allied army officers IN
and near Berlin to further their aSi-
! tations. The arrest >of Prince Jon-
chin gave the .Junkers chance to
by declaring that the prince had been
| made to suffer because he had stood
up for Germany.
Ebert In Contempt with RoyalistS.
President Ebert has been held in
contempt by the militarists and roy
alists ever since he came into power
as the socialist head OF the German
government a year and a half ago
In all that time insidious propaganda
has been carried on against him BY
| the conservatives.
One of the biggest elements, IL not
the biggest. in successful military
counter revolution in Germany Is the
effect upon the peace treaty.
1t might be accepted as foregon"
conclusion that, if the monarchists
came into power in Germany, they
would reject the treaty, and thus Ups
set the work of the whole CONFER
| ence. In their desperate efforts =
defeat allied aims. they might even
attempt a military alliance with Rus
STA. meanwhile making all the trou'
BILE they could for the entente with
their followers in the Near East.
The German monarchists probably
would not hesitate to drench Europe
in blood once more IL they thought
they could gain their ultimate ends
by so doing But they would be bad
~ Handicapped in their efforts 10
start new war by many causes,
among them: "a Reorganization %
the German army as fighting UNIV;
| (2) lack of a navy; go the present
occupation of much of western Ge'-
many by the allies; az lack of wHr
materials and the hostility of the
conservative element at home.
Socialists Against Another War.
German socialists do not want an
other war, while the Spartacists are
unwilling to fight their brother
workers in allied countries The hos
tility of the Spartacists has been di-
rected solely against the so-called
CAPITALIST classes. the militarists, and
the royalists.
The first socialist government in
Berlin, established Immediately after
the revolution Of 1918, was announced
in the German capital on November
II of that year. 1t follows:
Premier. minister of interior, and
minister of military affairs, Fred
erich Ebert: foreign AFFAIRS, Hugo
Haase: colonies and finance, Philip
Scheideman; demobiiHation. trans
port, and justice, WILHELM Dittmann.
Ebert was not proclaimed president
OF Germany until the National AS
sembly was created in 1918.
The German government now re
ported to have been overthrown was
formed on June n, last. Its chiet
members were: Chancellor. Herr
Bauer: foreign secretary Herman
Mueller; minister of defense (war
minister). Gustav Noske: minister OF
Justice and vice chancellor, Eugene
Schificr: minister Of finance, Matthias
Erzbcrgcr Crcsigned) minister OF IN