Evening star., 1921-05-15
BY HENRY w. BUM.
pyrirbt, 1921, by The Washington star)

Copyright 1921 by The Washington star) .
aHE following is brief summary OF the
news of the world for the seven days
ended May IA:
GERMANY-On May 10 new
cabinet, headed by Dr. Wirth the centrlst' was
formed 1t decided to accept the ultlmatum.
and its decision was sustained by the re1chstag,
bv p vote of 221 to IT'S. On May IL acceptance
without reserve or condition was notified to
the supreme council. The world heaved sigh
of relief but (poor world, its nerves are sadly
shattered) at began to worry again. 1or
reasons of which the chief follow:
In the first place, the acceptance Is out
German promise. Again. the prospects of the
Wirth cabinet are dubious. Its life is admitted
to be precarious. 1t includes besides tne
chancellor. DR.. Wirth. three majority socialists
three centrsts, two democrats. one independent
socialist, and one social democrat.
1t boasts no representatives of the nation
alist (junker) party the German peoples
party (the party of big business) whose power
fun influence, if used for obstruction, would
render extremely difficult fulhlment of the en-
gagements just undertaken. DR.. Wirth surely
commands only the votes Of the majority of
socialist and the centrists (the center part1es),
/. e.. PIG out of 469 reichstag votes. 1t Is TO De
hoped that he will be able to conciliate the
party support of the democrats and lndepen-
dent socialists; thus supported he might ne
able to overbear opposition from the parties
of the extreme right. Such development
would inspire certain confidence in nervous
and skeptical world, disposed as it is to credit
the Wirth cabinet with honesty and even
measure of good will; the London program
would wear a more hopeful face. But suppose
this cabinet should fall and should be succeeded
(as would be most likely) by a cabinet domi-
mated, as was Fehrenbach's. by junkers and the
super business gang? Why, then the London
program would wear face of doom.
X X X X
rod Of
German cabinet backed by safe parliamentary
majority, the world must needs worry hardly
the less: at least until June 80 is past. By June
80 the Einwohenerwehr, the Orgesch. the belll-
singing societies, etc., must be dlsarmed
and their must be turned over to the
allies. But will any such thing happen? Ger
man opposition to disarmament has always been
more fervid than opposition to reparation; and
strong color has been given to the arguments
against disarmament by the business now in
process in Upper Slesia. The Bavarian premier
says that the federal government cannot per-
suade or compel Bavaria to disarm The French
are very skeptical on the head of disarmament
for which the class of 1919 remains
under arms. THE Ruhr occupation has been
delayed" is the way they put it in France.
AS observed. the disarmament issue ac-
quires fresh impotence and dubiety in con-
nection with the Upper Silesian situation; which
is the crownng worry of all. The supreme
council should have delivered decision on
Upper Silesia before the ultimatum to Germany
In delaying they have been guilty of indecision
or timidity either fault unforgivable in
politics as in courtship of widows decision
unfavorable to Germany rendered before the
uItimatum might have prejudiced the latter's
chances of acceptance, but think that Germany
would have accepted notwithstanding, and at
any rate the issue would have been squarey
faced; a decision of such character rendered
now would cause reputation sooner or later of
the London program have indirect effects
hardly less fatal than reputation. For" the
Germans will be saying, when We signed the
ultimatum we took it for granted that were
to keep Upper Silesia, that capacity of pro-
duction would not be fatally curtailed."
4 X X X
Reports from Upper Silesia are cloudy and
conflicting. Apparently Korfanty still holds the
greater part of the region claimed by the Poles;