The Washington herald., 1921-06-05
MAXHOELZ, RED LUDENDORFF
OF GERMAN COMMUNISM, TELLS
OF ADVENTUROUS CAREER
"Robin Hood of Vaterland" Says Life as Buck
Private Made Him Bolshevist.,

father was a workman in a mill of
Morritz. a small village near Riesa.
When a child wandered with my
father and my four sisters and
brothers from one Saxon village TO
the other. I had to work at the
age at which other children go to
school. Often hungry an dcold, we
suffered abject misery and dire
poverty.
Gees 10 EnxIsnd.
Later I worked on a farm and
spent my spare time at reading
technical books. When IL years old
went to England. Returning to
Germany year later I went to a
technical high school at Dresden n
and worked my way through b,
laboring as a movie operator.
II made the acquaintance of my
wife at Vogtland. Saxony, and we
lived there happily until the war
broke out. I Joined the 'Hussars'
and marched to war in October,
1914. fighting on all battle fronts
until the winter of 1918. when ]
was buried in a trench through the
exploding of a she'll Taken to a
hospital, il was stated I was UNIT
or further service and was sent
home. ....
Eject Of War.
Impressions received during the
war left their indelible stamp on
my conscience. and led me to be-
come what ] am now. ! often won
dered how II was possible that men
who never hurt each other are
forced to murder one another in SO
barbaric a fashion often cried
because of my lack of force to as
sist humanity. . ..
When the big Spartacist revoiu-
tionary wave broke in November
| 1918. il tore the blindness from my
vision. and since then I have openly
and unswervingly stood by the side
OF revolution. My heart called me
to the side of those who were un-
happy and miserable. Books I read
| showed me that scientifically great
social changes were an absolute
necessity.
To-day ! am firmly convinced
that when the big revolution oc-
ours 1t will be because of economic
conditions slowly driving workmen
to il. and not because thousands and
millions of workers are yearning
for it.
Tells of Conditions.
The first time l entered political
life was in April. 1919, at Vogtland.
There were thousands out of work.
The government gave every mar
ried couple 80 marks. and with this
amount they were obliged to pay for
rent, clothes. taxes and heating.
Q u
live on. but our requests went un-
needed.
AT that time I was elected on
the jobless council. To improve our
situation we staged big manifesto
tions. was accused of disturbing
the peace and the reichswehr offered
5000 marks for my capture and la
ter increased that amount to 3o,-
900. They caught me several times
but friends among the laborers re-
leased me secretly
Il was about to leave for Russia
where | had been offered asylum.
A secret courier had arrived from
Moscow and given me 250,0oo
marks. But the monarchist revolu-
ton staged by Won Kapp broke out
and l decided to remain and help
my comrades.
Reds Protect Rich.
The reichswehr arrived There
was no disorder because we had
reached an agreement with capi-
| talists of the town, whereby our
Red executive committe guaran-
teed to preserve order and form
Red army to protect them II
they would pay us $4,000 marks
each week. They agreed and every
thing remained quiet and peaceful.
/ was at the head of the Red execu-
tive committee.
While we were in Falkenstein
during the Kapp "putsch." COM
mission of the entente called on us.
Among them were Representatives of
the American and British press.
When we expressed our antipatny
for the reichswehr. they said. the
reichswehr Is not only a danger for
Germany but for the whole of Eu-
rope
stands ny Guns.
81 vehemently deny all allegations
made by German police und secret
service agens that l operated at the
head of a gang of red bandits and
that / stole, killed and murdered in
discriminatory.
We were perfectly justified in
confiscating automobiles, bicycles
and such arms and ammunition as
wer enecessary for our needs. ! am
ready to stand for my creed, but
before real judges. 1 do not want
to fall into the hands of the reichs-
wehr. They killed Karl Liebk-
necht, Rosa Luxembourg and the
Others"
(cepyhsht, 1871