The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1920-03-25
GERMANY AFLAME
i. WITH DISORDER
Troops Battle Workers, and En-
pire Is Torn With Civil War
as Soldiers Mass in Berlin.
BIG STRIKE CAUSES HUNGER.
Ministers and Officials Refused to Take
kapp's Orders-Strike Potent in
Resuit-Has Spread Widely
Throughout Germany.

Throughout Germany.
Berlin.-Red revolution RACES over
vast areas of Germany, and it's reign
Of terror threatens to engulf the whole
empire. The compromise supposed to
have been brought about by the Kapp
md Ebert leaders proved a dismal
failure.
A soviet republic has been proclaim
ed In Bavaria, the heart of south Ger
many. Soviet regimes are springing
up like mushrooms in the big indus
trial cities and provinces.
Every big city in the land, including
Berlin, is battlefield. The death toll
mounts into the hundreds.
Whole units of troops, tired of bar
tering oaths of allegiance between gov
ernments that do not govern, are GO
ing over to the reds.
Kappism, Ebertism, Prussianism,
nti-Prussianism-all these are issues
only locauy; nationally they are re-
solving themselves with amazing swift
ness In the melting cauldron of bloody
civil warfare into two main currents,
and two only, Bolshevist and bour-
geoisie.
Sick of soft Socialism," which they
call the Ebert regime, and determined
TO fight to the death everybody and
everything that represents Kaiserism.
the radical working masses have taken
things into their own hands. They ut
terly ignore the pickering between the
happs and Eberts. They jibe and jeer
at the peace offers and ultimatums and
negotiations" that are going on be-
tween the two rivaling governments"
whose compromise proved to have been
brazen fake
what was exclusively foreshadowed
IN dispatches has come through with
uncanny rapidity and accuracy. The
confiagration has swept beyond con-
troll OF men of the Kapps and Ebert
type
In the chaos raging, only the radical
ana working masses are united. or
ganized and unbending. The troops
are split. Those in central Germany
are mostly loyal to Kapp's reactIonary
rebellion, the remainder sticks TO
EBERT In the south the majority wav-
ers between the two rivaling regimes.
The aristocracy and upper classes
stand as one man with the reaction,
nut neither Is armed nor organized.
Ihat great masses of orderly and law
abiding innocent bystanders. usualIv
referred to as the middle Glass; Is
vacillating between reaction and the
Ebert brand of Socialism. 1t is over
whelminsly and bitterly against soviet
ism.
But this multitude of peaceful pa-
triotic burghers is also unarmed and
unorganized and inherently shrinks
from civil strife, even in self defense.
Therein lies the tremendous advantage
of the reds. who are compact, organ
lied, determined fighting mass i'm
PEELED by one and the same idea. acting
while its opponents are talking.
80 It came about that while DR..
Woifgang kapp and Frederick Ebert
and their executive secretaries were
nddlng away fateful hours with de-
mands and counter-demands, that COM
pact mass of radicals forged ahead
Ike huge steam hammer. Whether
police or troops or outraged civilians
threw themselves against It, they were
hurled back, dead or wounded. Wo-
men and children are on many casual
" lists, for civil war Is no respecter
OF sex.
In Berlin, still the stronghold Of or
ganized military force, the reds made
little headway In fighting. Violent
battles were fought, however All
attempts Of the soldiers to put down
the strike here or elsewhere failed uf-
terly. To enumerate In detail the dead
and wounded In various parts of the
country would be futile, for every bour
adds fresh victims as internecine
strife stalks abroad.
However, a few facts and figures
suffice to sketch the picture Germany
presents.
IN Dortmund, the big WestphalIap
coal, iron and steel center. the rod
terror burst into the midst Of great
trade fair, attended by numerous for.
eigners and hosts Of visitors from all
parts Of Germany. Fifteen were killed
and 20 wounded, including some Of the
foreigners.
In HarDurg, just outside OF Ham
burg. many we're killed or wounded
Including some women and children.
Dresden was the scene of violent
clashes. The casualties were many.
Cheminitz chief manufacturing town
~ TIE former kingdom OF saxony. saw
civil var IN its widest forms. The
workers, victorious after terrific street
bnffes, formed committee Of action.
d'sarmcd the bourgeois troops and dis
fFihnted the captured arms among
e4fW ~ fhelr comrades.
f.eipzig another big Saxon CITY. ~.
mons Cor its peace time fairs, was the
ece'.c ~ continuous Gghtlng. Afanv
killed and injured.
Essen The home of Kruppe ie
strategic center 81 The reds. The acht-
in1 and cassaities were sccordinaly
i.art