Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-26
ERZBERGER SLAIN,
BODY OF LEADER WAS
RiDDLED WITH SHOT
tontInued from paEe I.
Add Erzberger f2345g7s90s. 12sf56s
Life Attempted In 1870 After Libel
Suit Hearing
Continued from page 1.

Add Erzberger f2335s7s90s. f23f55s
Life Attempted In 1870 After Libel
Suit Hearing.
Matthias Erzberger. German Vice
Premier and Minister of Finance, was
shot and wounded on January 26, 1920
iis be was leaving the criminal court
building I'm Berlin after attending a
hearing in libel suit he had brought
against DIR. Karl Helnerich. the for
mer German Chancellor His as
sailant gave his name as Dltwig Won
TIirschfeld. former cadet officer, 20
years old, a student, and son of n Ber-
lin bank official. Won Hirsehfeld was
arrested and WAS quoted as saying he
considered Erzbergcr dangerous to the
empire. The assailsnt fired two shots
at Erzberger Rs tho Minister was eff
tering his Yutornobi1es. one bullet
glanced Off the Minister'S watch chain
and another entered his shoulder.
Erzberger reused a storm in Ger
many in July 1917. more than a year
before the armiatiee, by proposing a
resolution in the German Reichstag
| i'm favor Of peace without annexa-
| ticns and for parliamentary reform.
/ Chancellor Bethmann- Hollweg de-
elared this formula was Unacceptable
and DIR. Helnerich subsequently blnm-
ed Erzberger's peace proposal for the
moral collapse of the German people.
Served Under Macmillan.
| Herr Erzberger vas for many years
l leader Of the German Center party
and one Of the leading figures in Ger
| man public life after Germanys de-
| feat in the war. His peace move of
I 1917 had made him the storm center
Of attack By reactionaries; but when
Germany's military power collapsed
he was made Minister Without Port.
folio in the cabinet OF Prince Maxi
milan.
As member of the German Arrnis-
tice delegation he conducted negotia-
tons with Marshal Toch and later
headed the Majority Socialists in a
movement to form a new ministry
and sign the Peace Treaty. His at
titude throughout The armistice me-
gotiations aroused against him the
Indignation of German military
authorities and IN June, 1919. il was
reported that his residence had been
fred upon by Berlin mob. A plot
said to have been formed by members
of the officers corps at Potsdam to
assassinate him was revealed in Sep
tember following.
Son of q Poor Tailor.
Born in Buttenhaus, September 20.
1875, Erzberger was the son of a poor
tailor. He became schooImaster.
obtained university education.
studied international law and poiiti-
cal economy. wrote several books on
political and economic subjects and
became a brilliant speaker and poll
tician. He was elected to the Reich
stag in 1903 as member of the Center
(Catholic1 party, as representative OF
small farmers and became one of the
leaders of small liberal wing of that
party.
He was accused of having recon-
1nended the use by German troops of
the flame thrower. Later he declared
Germany's U-boat war had failed and
advocated its abandonment. Som.
time prior to the armistice he publish
ed a book in which he outlined a plan
for league of nations.
Erzberger was elected member OF
the National Assembly from Wuert-
temberg in January. 1919 and in June
became yice-Premier and Minister of
Finance. In the latter office he for
rnulated the vast income tax and capi-
tai levy plan which he declared was
necessary to enable Germany TO pay
her indemnities to the Entente and TO
rehabilitate herself financially. II was
claimed that his levy on German capi-
tai would greatly reduce the huge for
| times of German war profiteerS and
industrial leaders.