Evening journal., 1920-03-13

/ on the troops OF Gustav NOske, ms
minister Of defense, who crushed the
Spartacan and cher radical outbreaks.
/ While Noske had full control over the
Relchwehr and volunteer troops, his
/ hold on the regular army was weak.
| The disaffecton Of this element head
/ ed by officers who retained. secretly
/ at least their allegicnoe 20 the for
mer Kaiser forced Noske 10 give up
| his post without lighting,
Reports that the revolution was
| brewing have been current for months.
! Germansts and monarchlsts recently
have been gaining power. RevolU-
tions in the Erzberger-Helnrich trial
weakened The confidence OF the people
In the Ebert administration and gave
! the reactionaries a chance they did
not miss 10 crystallize opinion against
the government
Ebert always has been considered
an inierloper by the aristocrats Of the
old Kaiserist regime. His lOwly birth
and unconyinelng personality have
been held up 10 scorn time and again
by the military clique.
The revolution will bring the Allies
face 10 face with these problems:
Forcing the new government 20 ad-
here to the treaty Of Versailles.
Securing stronger guarantees from
Holland that the former Kaiser now
interned in the Dutch nation, will be
so guarded that there will be no OPP
Dortunity for his return to Germany.
Forcing the new government to adj
here 90 The Allied decision 10 make
Germany punish her own war guilty
by trial before a German tribunal at
Leipzig
General Won Luttwitz, who was COM
mander Of The first Reichswehr group
and a lieutenant Of Noske, apparently
was guilty Of complete deception 10 his
chief. He was accused by Die Frei-
heit yesterday OF being implicated In
the plot when II was frst discovered
by the government. Noske never has
been accused Of disloyalty TO the Ebert
government
Today's successful coup was the re-
suit OF careful preparation both by
propaganda among the masses and
careful work among army officers, by
the reactionaries.
Radical and industrial outbreaks gave
them their first chance At the time
OF the, spartacan outbreaks, when grave
fears were felt in Allied circles for the
safety OF the government the Pan-Ger-
manists and monarchlsts did every
thing in their power 10 embarrass |
President Ebert NOske however. sue
ceeded in bolstering up the strength Of !
the administration by ruthlessly re- /
pressing each disturbance.
The reactlonarles found their next |
opportunity when the Allied demands |
for punishment OF Germa war guilty |
and lists Of accused were forwarded
to Berlin. These lists brought storm
of Indignation from every circle Of Ger
man opinion The Ebert government /
in series of notes warned the Allies
that II could not--dare nOt-turn the
accused over to the Allies for trial be-
fore Entente military tribunals.
The government practically told the
Allied premlers that surrender OF the
accused Teutons--includng many pow
erful figures in the old Kaiseristlc
clique-meant It's downfall. Allied in
vestlgations bore out this statement
and the premiers finally agreed that
the accused might be tried before
German tribunal at Leipzig as the Eb-
ert government had suggested.
The reactiOnaries throughout Ger
many had seized the opportunity to hurl
charges at the government Rallying
around Won Hindenburg they declared
the accused never would be surrendered.
Army and navy officers joined in oaths
10 prevent surrender of the accused By
force.
When the premiers finally decided 10
alter their demands The hold OF the
Ebert government had been weakened
and a great wave Of monarchist sym
pathy was sweeping over Germany.
The Ebert group. however, continued
TO ilght for It's pO'Ner and it was not
until the Erzberger- Hellfrich trial that
il became apparent the government was
in grave danger. The attack Of Otwig
Won Hirschfeld, a young student and
former army lieutenant upon Erzberger.
lhen minister of finance, was one Of the
straws showing the trend Of sympathy.
Won Hirschfeld shot Erzberger as the 4
finance minister was leaving the Reich
stag after a session Of the body He
said he did IL for Germany and because
he believed Erzberger was a British
This incident was followed by the
'eslgnatlOn or kiI1erger who had been
lnder fire for alleged violation Of his ,
public posts for private gain At the
lime he resigned newspapers Of the re-
dictionary group attacked the entire {
ebert administration bitterly. II was ap- ;
parent, correspondents wrote, that the {
governments position had been weak ,
med greatly. n
The monarchists and Pan Germanists. ;
;eneraliy including powerful figures Of ,
he Prussian aristocracy had made the
most OF all these opportunities. They
worked apparently TO secure firm hold !
II the army. The support Of the mill !
airy leaders probably was what enabled 7
ne revolutionary coup TO be carried out q
Vlth the apparent ease indicated by dis I
patches. N
DAVID BARR GETS /