The Washington times., 1920-04-25
BAVARIA MAY QUIT
GERMAN RED RULE
Southern Portion of Country
Refuses to Dissolve Citizens
Guard.
ny KARL n. Won WEiGAND.
lUaiver.aI ssrytee.D

! MUNICH. April 2o.-If the radical
izstion OF the Berlin government con-
tinues. Bavaria may choose to become
temporarily. at least-a separate
entity. Rather than be dominated by
radical proletariat central govern
ment at Berlin. Bavaria may prefer
| to secede from Germany TO protect
her own institutions. founded ana
| built UP upon democratic principles,
not class distinction.
Bavaria refuses to dissolve the so
called "EiEwohnerwehr." or Citizens
Guard. The Bsyarians defy the Ber-
lin government to enforce the order
OF dissolution, given as a result or the
| entente demands under the Versailles
treaty.
South Germany. democratic long
before the revolution OF 1919. which
overthrew kaiserism. Is today the
| main bulwsrk In Germany against
/ radicalism. Last year North German
troops drove out the Bolshevisuc
regime In Munich and other Bavsrian
towns upon the appeal of the Bavsr-
ian government. South Germany Will
do the same thing for north Germany
in answer to a similar appeal.
King OF the Farmers.
The above constitutes the substance
OF statements made to me today by
DIR. Helm. In a conversation / had
with the famous Bavsrian leader.
DIR. Helm Is one OF the most forceful
men in Germany today. He is known
as the King OF the Farmers" and is
generally credited with being the
leader OF the Bsvarian separatist
movement. This he denies, however.
Discussing the growing antagonism
between the absolutely democratic
south" and the Increasingly radical
ICED German capital, seat OF the con-
tral German government, DR.. Helm
said:
"If you ask me whether I am a
Spartacist, / must say mo- The rea-
sons are simple. Bavaria has no sea-
port, no coal, no iron.
"If you ask me whether despite
that, circumstances might drive Ba-
yaria to what would be temporary
separation from Germany, I must
answer yes
"These circumstances would be: A
radical workingmen's government at
Berlin which is but another name for
bolshevism. or a soviet regime. Al
ready a strong reaction against Ber-
lin Is flaming up among the Bavarfan
people.
Dsa't Want DIetatsrship.
"In other worde. Bavaria 'wird
night mitmachen'-will not adhere to
Berlin IL a Dictatorship of the prole-
tariat is established there. We do
not believe in q dictatorship by any
class.
Though the Kingdom OF Bavaria
was thoroughly democratic long be-
fore the 1919 revolution. tho Bavarian
people are firmly determined to main
tain their democratic Institutions and
not to participate in any class con-
scious dictatorship OF one class or an
other.
SHOULD a radical central govern
ment come in Berlin. / can conceive
that Baden, wuerttemberg, and pos
sibly Hessen may join Bavaria in de-
claring a barrier against radicalism.
running from the Rhine eastward"
DR.. Helm Is a man OF huge stature
and massive head. with n face that
has a strikingly Bismarckian resemb-
lance. He wears a large black slouch
hat similar to that affected by cotton
planters in the south of the United
States. He is one of the most force
full personalities l have met in the
Germany of today. He has frank,
open, straight-from-the-sh way
OF talking that reminds one of Noske.
"ThinIy YELLED Soviet"
He characterized the present Ger
man government as "thinly veiled
soviet" and the democratic and CEN
trist bourgeoise elements in it as
| "sponges and corks, driven on the
| waters as the wind blows" He add
| ed:
The only real man in the govern
ment was Noske-and they threw him
out"
Asked il Bavaria could feed and
maintain itself, the King OF the Ba-
varian farmers said:
yes. Bavaria is two-thirds an ag-
ricultural country"
| DIR. Heinz admitted that French po-
litical agents had approached him
on the subject of a Bavarian separate
state.
II did not leave them in doubt as
to where 1 stood" he added. 81 am
opposed TO all intriguing, plotting, and
| subterranean work. l am no separa-
tist, but IL that pig.pen in the north
does not come to an end, l could be-
come a separatist"
| Asked if IL was true that the French
favored Bavaria becoming a mon
archy again. DR.. Helm said France
had given it to understand that she
would have no objection. and even
would be willing to accept a revived
Bavarian monarch.
|