Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-16
NEW GERMAN REPUBLIC
LASTS JUST ONE YEAR
Democratic Socialists Govern
ment of the People Always
in Turmoil.


Friedrich Ebert, formerly head Of the
main committee Of tho Reichstag and
leader OF the Social Democratic Party
WAS elected first President OF the new Ger
man progressive republic for a term OF
seven years on February ii, 1919, by the
National Assembly ut Weimar. He has
been characterized as type OF Pam
German or imperialistic Socialist,
Il was the Ebert government which
arose from the ruins of the HohenzoIern
dynasty and which enabled tho Entente
Allies to conclude peace with Germany
On November 10. 1918. when former
Emperor William abdicated and fled,
Ebert was the Imperial Chancellor, having
succeeded Prince Maximilian of Baden
who was instrumental in negotiating the
armistce. He at once assumed command
and succeeded in queling revolution
ary outbreaks. The red flag was holsted
over the Brandenburg Gate and the
royal palace after. wild scenes an Berlin
where the people shouted Long Live the
RepublicW and sang the Marseillaisc
"The new government will be a govern
ment of the people," Chancellor Ebert
said. sIt must make very effort to secure
in the quickest possible time peace for the
German people and consolidate the liberty
they have won. The new government has
taken charge of the administration to
preserve the German people from civil
war and famine and TO accomplish their
legitimate claims to autonomy.
The independent Socialists, including
a radical element favorable to Bolshevism
and known as Spartacides complicated
Ebert problem. When he became Chancel-
lor many of these radicals including Karl
Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. were
freed from prison and the two mentioned
were subsequently assasslnated.
The National Assembly which elected
Ebert was formed for the purpose of adopt
ing q Constitution. It's document which
was approved last August provided that
'the executive power lies with the people.
The power of the upper chamber oil the
Reichstag was limited similar to the
British House and Lords. There were
special protection for labor and generaliy
accepted rules of international law were
iucorporated in the new instrument.
Ebert took the oath of office on August
% and two DAYS later the National As
sembly ceased to exist 1t bcingsuperceed-
cd by the new Reichstag.
Philip Scheidmann was the first Pre-
IN Ter of Germany under Ebert, Gustave
Noske. formerly Minister of Demobilza-
tion and before that Governor of klel,
was named the first Minister OF Army and
Navy. BY reason of his drastic enforce
nent of new regulations he became known
as a dictator"
Other members of the first Ebert cabin
follows:
Minister of Interior, Herr Pneus; Minis
ter of Justice Herr Sendsberg; Minister of
Commerce, Herr Muller; Minister OF
Labor. Herr Bauer; Minister Of Foreign
Affairs. Count Won Brockdorff- -Rantzau,
former German Minister to Denmark;
Under Foreign Minister, Won Rehtho-
fen; Minister of Finance, Herr Schiller;
Minister of Postal and Telegraphs, Herr
C,eisberg; Ministers without Portfolio,
DIR. Matthias Erzberger; ,Armistice Com
missioner, former State, Secretary and
leader of the Centrist party; Eduard
David. President of the National As
sembly and Herr Nissel.
The Ebert government underwent many
changes by reason of political, economic
and popular demands.
The first real crisis to threaten the
Ebert regime, however, arose over the
question of accepting the peace treaty
terms, Ebert. Scheldemann and other
leaders were opposed TO yielding to the
Entente demands. Scheidemann resigned
and a pro-treaty cabinet including DIR.
August Mueller and ex-labor secretary
Bauer, former socialist member OF the
Reichstag was organized. Bauer In
speech at Weimar before the National
Assembly denounced the treaty IN strong
terms but announced the governments
decision to sign.
For weeks before the revolution lra e
ont in Berlin there was steady run on
Ger an banks. Ebert, then Chancellor,
had q % fere ce In Berlin on November
p 1918 with 20 de'ega'es from various
pats of Germany, said: Everything was
in ruin when we took charge. ow, now
ever, Socialistic republic has replaced
the monarch an power has been put
IN he hands Of work en- and soldiers"
Th. first al . to be achieved, he said, was
peace and tie security of an economic
basis. liberty he maintained, was worth
less without food, and employment and
il was as a result OF this conference that
the National Assembly met last spring to
devise a constitutional form ofgovernment
Meanwhile the provisional government
had been In an almost constant state OF
fux. Ministers came and went. Owing to
scarcity of food clothing and fuel, con-
ditions IN many parts of Germany were
reported desperate and there were many
rumors that Soviet government would
superceie the Ebert regime.
President Ebert had the backing of the
Moderates of Germany almost from the
beginning One reason for this was that
when he succeeded Prince Macmillan
he announced that property rights would
be respected that no banks would be
seized and that the government would
uphold the German war losses and pay
all claims on the state.
The President In New Year manifesto
said that 1920 would decide whether
Germany would maintain herself as
nation. A week later he was threatened by
a mob In Stuttgart. On the preceding
December II the Ebert cabinets fall was
reported as likely as a result of the Allied
demands over the Scapa Flow sir ings.
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