The Alaska daily empire., 1921-09-20
ASSASSINATION A GERMAN POLITICAL
 WEAPON.

Newspaper investigation following the assassina son of Matthias Erzberger, presumably by German re aconaries. has disclosed that assassination has bee used a political weapon in German with startln frequency since the establishment of the republic i that country Maxmilian Harden, telegraphng to tn New York World says 316 members of the Republica parties of Germany have been assassinated since tn signing of the Almistice and that only five person have been convicted. None have been executed. However. the New York Post contends that thi situation does indicate that monarchsts ar strong in Germany. It thinks it does not even ind cate hope success the part the reactiona rie but that the assassinatons rather healing pain than anything else.
 The Post says
 The situation arising out of the murder of Matthias Erzberger need not be viewed relapse in Germanys progress to covery under republican form of govern Events preceding and following upon the assassination may be regarded with more incidents in the process of German conyalescence Health after illness does not come back without recurrent twinges of pain from tissues hardening to normal, with out tmpOrary depressiOns without spells of dizziness. Threats against the existing regime in Germany may just as often come from enemies who feel that. their oppor tunites escaping them from enemies who feel that their opportunity has come. The Communist upfare of last spring was the last desperate try by radical faction which the tide of communism ebbing every where in Europe So the present monarchst agitation may very well have been called forth by the spectacle of a Germany set ting back to normal, coming to an under standing with the Allies reparaons. submitting to a League decision Silesa, and signing treaty with the United States in which Germanys responsibility for the is acknowledged and the stipuatons of the Treaty of Versailles virtually af- tirmed.
 It is natural that every time the Gov ernment acquiesces in the fact of German 6Qfa md chor, fhn nf reaction should seek capitalize the situa- tOn. If is natural that their wrath should be visited specifically EZrberger, the associated more than any other German with the acceptance of German defeat and hu- initiation.
 The German Government therefore face its present difficulties with the feeling that once the situation has been mastered and the treaty with the United States rati- fled, there will be less and less opportunity for the elements of reaction to work mis- chief. One crisis the Government must be prepared for, and that is when the League decision Silesa is announced and Germany, she is bound to, loses part of the disputed territory. With that out of the way, the German people will find it what easier to forget and to turn to the task of restoration through hard work and pa tience for which Chancellor Wirth has elo- Quently pleaded
 We cannot speak of the assured stability of the German republic for many years to IL twent years after Sedan before the French Republic safe. But the Ger democracy, by mass government tion, has saved the republic both against Kapp MOnarchiss and Communists, and is rallying it's defense in a that holds out promise for the future