The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-14


 There are now two contending gov ernments in Germany. the new one un- der Chancellor kapp at Berlin; the old one under President Ebert at Dresden. Officials of the new government de- clare that it is not reactionary or monarchfst. The president of the old government and his ministers have is- sued a proclamation. calling upon the people to rise fin a general strike as the only means of preventing the re- turn of Wilhelm IT.
 Berlin Is occupied by the troops of the counter revolution-to what num- Der Is not known-and the movement is spreading rapidly throughout the provinces. Masses of troops and naval brigadcs with artillery have been brought into the capital and dominate the situation.
 Thus far there has been no outbreak and no bloodshed.
 NO BLOODSHED
 The Ebert government had
 Knowledge beforehand of the pend-
 ing counter revolution. hut the
 precautions taken proved to he en-
 tirely inadequate. Outside of the
 security police and the Noske
 troops on patrol, nothing indicated
 at this morning that BerIfn
 would wake up to find the Ebert
 government turned out. The
 president himself left Berlin with
 some of his followers two hours
 after that time.
 Admiral Yon Trotha had been des- patched to Doeberuz Friday night for the purpose of conferring with the troops and admonishing the into de- sist from any violent procedure. He returned and informed the cabinet flat the agits ton had subsided but that the danger was not wholly re- moved.
 STUNS EVERYONE
 The realization was finally brought home to the cabinet that the army W hich Herr Noske was supposed to control was far from being the loyal organization he counted upon and that the Berlin garrisons had also been in- oculated by the officers of the old school and were ready for the rising when the call came. The secrecy with which the revolution was planned and carried out has stunned everyone.
 Field Marshal von Hindenburg is re- ported to be favored by the new re- SfUle aS lIHpcIldl pItSluenLs DuL mus far he has remained in the background. The former minister of foreign affairs, Gottlieb von Jagow. and Gen. Baron von Falkenhausen. former governor general of Belgium. are among the leaders of the counter revolution.
 While the movement has been car- ried out rapidly and in apparently or der. there is an undercurrent of anxiety among the people of Berlin as t<S.. ftxl F.,t, Gr11 fay measures are expected soon. although the Kapp government has taken pre- cautions to place those members of the former government who could be reached under arrest.
 DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS
 Last evening it became known that the government of President Ebert and Minister of Defense Noske had come upon traces of a serious plot to over throw the republican regime. Orders were issued for the arrest of the men believed to be mainly concerned. These were first and chiefly, Dr. Wolffgang kapp. noted as a reactionary, who has been prominent in all agitations of the fatherland party and an extreme an tagonist of the republican government and General Won Luettwitz. who was in command of the first self-styled group of Reichswehr, or empire de- fense forces.
 With them were associated Captain Pabst, a cavalry officer of the guard who had taken leading part in sup pression of the spartacist revolt last year Apparently, notwithstanding the precautionary measures taken by the government, the plot had gone too far to be arrested as the troops selected for the seizure of Berlin were already on the way and the force at the dis posal of the government was not only insufficient. but was not altogether de- pendabIe.
 When the news came that revolution ary forces from the big camp at Doe beritz were on the march, officers of the rank belonging to the government troops were sent to meet them, as
 tContiwu~d n~ p.~. n-