The New York herald., 1921-01-05
DIR. Escherich, Commander
Of Civic Guards, Involves
Berlin With Powers.
FORCE ABOUT 100000
Munich Hopes More Time
Will Be Granted by En-
tente for Compliance.
PRESS ATTACKS CABINET
Government Opposed by Pa
pers for Yielding Earlier
to Allies Demands.
PRESS ATTACKS CABINET
By RAYMOND SWING.


Special Cable to THE Nrw YORK HERALD
Copyright, 1921. by THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Berlin, Jan. 4.
DR.. George Escherich, organizer and
commander of the Bavarian civic
guards and head of the Bavarian For
estry Department, defes the Allies in
so far as yielding to the demand by
France for the disarmament Of his
forces. The French Government holds
that the disbanding of these guards
constitutes the very crux OF the pres
ent disarmament situation in Ger
many. and that by not disarming them
the German Government has violated
the provisions of the Spa agreement.
The strength OF the Bavarian civic
guards has been estimated at about
100000 officers and men. According
to the French Interpretation of the
terms of the Spa protocol. they should
have been included in the German
military organizations that were 10
disarm by midnight on December 81
last.
DIR. Escherich was asked by THE NEW
YORK HERALD correspondent what would
be his attitude in the event the Entente
Powers presented to Germany an ulti-
matum threatening the occupation OF
the Ruhr district unless these guards
were disarmed.
MY. views on the question of the
civic guards are too well known to
make it necessary to repeat them" DR..
Escherich replied.
This statement can be read as con-
irining the popular belief here that the
commander OF the Bavarian civic
guards will be unyielding in the face Of
such a demand by the allied Powers
Munich TO Consult Berlin.
Premier Won Kahr of Bavaria is
coming TO Berlin soon foc personal
negotiations regarding the disarmng Of
these civic guards. Meanwhile Munich
dispatches show that Bavarian opinion
is that an extension Of time for disarm-
| ing viii yet be granted by the Entente.
This Bavarian optimism is felt In
Berlin to be borne out to-day in a
Reuter- despatch in which it Is stated
that in London il Is not regarded that
tho German failure to live up to the
strict terms of the Spa agreement war
rants occupation Of the Ruhr district.
The notes which began to arrive here
| before Christmas are now ascribed to
| French initiative and in preparation for
eventual and important action in the
event England could be moved to cor-
sent 10 IT, However. the Reuter- report
to-day Is read here as meaning that this
consent by Great Britain will not be
given.
The German Cabinet has sent a sup
Elemental note TO the president OF the
interallled military commission. In re-
ply 10 the charge that the "orduungs
polizeir (police TO keep order) were
nothing but security police reinforced
and that the ununiformed police Ind
! been increased beyond the limit per
mitted by the peace treaty. IL denies
the allegation and insists "the German
! Government kept Loyalty to the pre-
scriptions OF the peace treaty and the
notes OF June % and August IL"
Tho days OF the disarmament crisis.
however worked marked change IN
| the tone OF the German press. The cx-
| treme radical newspapers have under
mined what credit the present Cabinet
possessed with the Left Wing and
| Labor and D.. Walter Simons. Foreign
| Minister. who has been spared as a
white raven in exceptionally black COM
pany has lost many Labor friends by
signing the notes pleading for the re-
tention of tine Bavarian guards. Mean
while the Conservative newspapers.which
| opposed signing the Spa agreement. now
are reading voluble lectures TO the Cab
| met for having to admit that the agree
| ment could not be fulfilled, and they
are trunpeting in national zeal hard
| ty euualled since the war.