The New York herald., 1922-12-31
But Max, Tired of
Waiting, Pro
claimed Full Alb
dication and Then
Scheidemann An
nounced Republic
BY KARL FREDERICK NowAK.

tiie e'e VI ->o'chiDor INC
offices of the Berlin Vorlcaerts
were crowded with Socialist
party leaders. They showed great
bitterness when Minister Scheidemann
reported that the Chancellor had
urged the Kaiser TO resign irnme-
diately. but that the eight days given
him had passed without the abdica-
ton. Scheidenann advised against
violence and bloodshed But the party
functionaries. who knew how the
masses felt, were determined to call
out the workers from the factories.
The most he could get them to agree
to was to reassemble at o'clock the
next morning and to wait for two
more hours to give the Kaiser and the
Government one last chance.
Nine o'clock came on the morning
of the 10TH Otto Wells. the labor
leader, arose. No word had arrivel
from the Emperor. 1t was time for
the workers to assert themselves. He
called for a united workers front:
"We shall meet again upon the
street"
Party slogan after slogan he called
out into the han-words that had been
used time and again and which were
known to everybody there, but now.
called out as commands. they sud-
denly took on the force OF reality.
Thnnderous cries of approval greeted
his challenge. Some party chiefs
wept.
Something else happened during
these last two hours of waiting: A
delegation of the Naumburg Jeager
Battalion, which had; been ordered to
Berlin as a safe contingent, APP
peared and demanded that the Social
lists send a member of the executive
committee TO the barracks to explain
theSpolitical situation to them. So Otto
Wells rode with them in their auto
mobile to the Alexander Barracks.
The entire battalion assembled. the
soldiers crowding around the wagon
that had been showed into the middle
OF the courtyard as a platform; the
officers. standing aside, did not know
what to do.
Wells began. He told them OF the
hopelessness OF the situation unless
the Kaiser abdicated. All hope for vic
tory was gone. The Emperor's un-
willingness to remove himself was
costing hundreds of thousands of
lives. 1t was up to the soldiers TO
decide whether or not they would
join the workers, who already had
proclaimed a republic In Kiel. Han
over and Munich.
He paused for a moment. He was
not quite sure of the spirit OF the
M N ~
They remained impassive. as did also
the officers. For a moment he hesi-
tated, then. daringly:
II ask you, Will the Berlin garrison
shoot upon the workers. or will II
side with the cause of the people?
Under no circumstances can things
10 on as at present. The movement
cannot be stopped"
at is your duty to prevent a civil
= -. at all costs.
I call out to you: Long live the
y peoples republic!"
lis was the crisis. Otto Wells
ID. This was the officers chance
Tor Ne stood there upon the wagon,
visible TO everybody.
But no officer shot. A roar OF human
voices reached his ears. He had won.
The troops were at the disposal OF the
Social Democratic party of Germany
Sergeant majors took command. a
platoon of sixty men was sent for the
protection of the Vortcdcrts building
Otto wols hurried TO the Reichstae
chambers. But his party members
asked him TO speed from barracks TO
barracks, to duplicate the feat OF the
Nadmburg Jaeger.
Kaiser Gets Conflicting Advice;
Delays Abdiostion, Still Hopeful
In Spa the states secretaries had
again and again pressed for decision
The last report was that at that mo-
nent the generals were going to the
Emperor.
Phillip scheidemann handed in his
RESIGNATION from Prince Max's Cabi-
net. after once moro learning that no
decisive word had arrived from Spa
ana hearing from Wells about the~lat-
ter's successes with the garrison. All
the Socialist State Secretaries resigned
with him. Tho workers left shops and
factories and forming In columns
marched upon the city.
At-the same hour Baron Won Grue-
nau sent two dispatches, from the
Chancellor and from Foreign Minister
Solf, TO the EMPEROR A last signal
was given by soif in his closing ap-
peal. which contained these demands:
70 continue the bcace negotiations
n Himperatlvely necessary that the
social Democrats remain In the Gov
ernment.
ssrhe socalist States Secretaries
>s11I leave unless the ultimatum is ac-
tspted.
~Attempts to dissuade the Socialists
frotn Yersistins In the ultimatum have
fAifed -,
Upon the Emperor alone depends
~ question of whether or not there
Il % - civil war. 49,
ysluntas1ly'