The New York herald., 1922-12-31
{ Continued from Page Two.


His attempt to save hts country with
the Kaiser at tho head had failed.
Now his attempt to savo the mon
archy without william also seemed
about to fail. The only ray Of hope
left was that the country would de-
eide its own future form of state
through a National Assembly. II the
Kaiser were to abdicate. the people
might themselves decide for a mon
archy.
He had little time to brood over
events. At p;1b A. n. came the dis
tressing word from Admiral Snntze
that even the armies In the field could
not be depended upon to support the
Kaiser. When the news came that
the abdication for1nalities wero IN
progress. there was some hope IN the
Chancellor's Office that the whole
problem was to be solved through re-
nunciation OF the throne. A procla-
maton giving notice of the Kaiser's
abdication and the renunciation by the
! Crown Prince, but also announcing a
regency, had to be gotten ready for
release from the printing presses the
moment the expected news came from
Spa. The text was drafted by Dr.
Simons after consultation with the
Department of Justice and approved
by Prince Max.
When the Cabinet assembled at 10
o'clock. this time without the Social
! IN ri
still wanting. Disturbances were re-
ported from various parts of the city
The Chancellor did not dare trust In
the power OF arms to support his Gov
ernment. So he determined to break
the silence at Spa by a regular tele-
phonic bombardment OF the Emperor's
villa. j
The streets meanwhile began to fiH
There were shots. demonstrations, the
report Of guns. At the other end, Gen.
Won Plessen thought Berlin reports
exaggerated. But the Minister of War,
Gen. Scheuch. at Berlin. who stepped
to the telephone, could give him but
little reinsurance.
Gen. Scheuch had believed that the
city could hold out until the report
came to him that the Jaeger Battalion
at the Alexander barracks had gone
over to the revolutionaries This shat
tered his confidence.
On the way to the Chancellery he
learned that proclamation concern
Ing the abdication had been issued.
The Chancellor had decided to act on
his own responsibility. hoping there
by at least to save the dynasty.
With Pr.vy Councillor DR.. Simons
he had agreed upon the text of the
proclamation, by which a regent was
to be appointed. who was In turn to
nominate Representative Ebert as
Chancellor and to see to II that a ma
tional assembly be convoked quickly
to decide upon the future form of the
German State
state Secretary Solf and Count
Bernstorff had attempted to persuade
the Prince to take over the regency
and thereby to form a connecting link
between the old and the new order.
But the Prince hesitated about so do
ing without consulting various au-
thorities, and finally declined the cffor.
While he was making up his mind
Admiral Hintze telephoned that the
Kaiser would surely resign, but that
he wanted to formulate the document
OF abdication himself. To which the
Chancellor replied:
There Is no time for that. just tell
him that we have done that ourselves.
II must be published at once" There
upon the proclamation was set up in
type.
Representatives Fritz Ebert and
Philip Scheidemann told the Chan
cellor they were coming. accompanied
by four trade union leaders. With
Count Bernstorff and DR.. Solf the
Chancellor received them. Ebert de-
clared that he had been sent by his
party and the Reichstag to take over
the Government. He spoke politely but
firmly. in the tone almost Of an ulti-
matum.
The Chancellor said ne would au-
nounce his decision within half an
hour. With the Minister of War he
entered his private office.
"Are the troops to be depended
upon?" asked the Chancellor.
According to last reports, no. re-
Piled Gen. Scheuch.
"Then there is nothing else to do"
There was confusion In the Chan
celery. The room began to fill with
various officials. A report came from
Gen. Won Linsingen. oommandant of
the garrison. that many Of the soldiers
under his command would refuse to
shoot upon the councils OF soldiers
and workers which were about to mo-
bilize in n strength of about $4,000.
The Minister Of War issued orders
to Won Linsingen TO have the guards
fire II necessary for the protection Of
buildings and property. Little did he
know that Won Linsingen had already,
without awaiting the orders OF the
Minister Of War, but fully realizing
the temper of the guards. given them
orders mot to shoot under any cir
cumstances. not even for the pro-
lection Of buildings"
The time had come for the Cham
ceiior to put en- end to the uncertainty
Ebert wac summoned To him he
turned over the affairs OF the Chancel-
lery. with the proviso that 1t must re-