New-York tribune., 1922-06-25
Rathenau's Murder

Rathenau S Murder
First Erzberger, then Rathenau!
Those two men had excited the
vs,omous hatred of the GcrmaQ
,,sctonary elements-the Helffer-
.lian. Ludendorfiian, Hohenzollern
,,coration parties. Both were as
s.sinated after engaging in po-
.n;es with Helferich. Rosa Lux
,rburg and Karl Liebknecht were
~. the only tcrrorists in the new
Germany. The monarchists are just
=. ready TO remove" leaders who
Stand in their way as were the Com
runists who tried to Bolshevize
Berlin and Munich in the trying
months after the armistice.
Erzberger was a thorn in the side
Of the restorationists because he
vas a slippery and astute politi-
esn and knew too many war secrets.
he had accepted the results of Ger
man defeat, however, and was
working 10 maintain the new order.
n.henau was even more a thorn in
their sides. because he was a man
Of the highest character, Of COM
rriing influence in the business
void and a statesman who advo-
eied honesty and good faith in the
tseharge Of Germany's obligations
70 the Allies. He was a more shin
ng mark than Erzberger, since, in
cooperation with DR.. Wirth, he had
meceeded in creating some con-
fdence abroad in the good inten-
tons Of the present German gov
eminent.
Ra,henau was an intellectual as
well as an industrial leader. He
was not afraid to speak his mind
and in his postwar books, as well
as in his craftsmanship, he ranged
himself resslutely against a return
10 the old system Of Prusianism. tie
Rad broken with the shams and me-
dieval folNes Of Kaiserism before
the war ended. Ludendorff singled
him out by name as the most culpa-
be of German "defeatists." quot
ing his saying that il would be
tavosty on history if William ii
should ever ride back through the
Brandenburg Gate surrounded by
hs paladins. For him the war
ended righteously in sense. for
since through defeat Germany
achieved a political liberation which
could never have come TO her
through victory.
In the last year, as minister In
charge Of reparations to the dew
's'aied regions of France and as
Minister Of Foreign Relations, he
Ieached a practical accommodation
with France in the Loucheur-
Rsthenau agreement and had ap-
larently won the respect Of the
french and British governments
Wien he suddenly committed the
enthusiastically Teuton error OF
slringing an alliance treaty with
Russia on the Genoa conference.
| Ra,henau, former head Of the
g'est General Electric Company OF
Germany, was also a Socialist the
'Hst lie was not a Marxian, but
n bis politico- -philosophic books re
lankly accepted a socialistic r.
gne for after-the-war Germany
ae felt that the gulf between the
% and The new was too wide ever
. be bridgcd over again and he
"'Sed forward unenthusiastically,
# not without hope, 70 new Ger
1an state, poor, modest, self-con-
Shea' but capable, perhaps, Of de-
"9plng once more the ancient,
"sntally German virtues.
such nan in power was a men
"s 70 the impenitent agitators who
| not accept the peace, have no in
Eauon Of paying Germany's debts
% would gladly sacrifice the Ger
~A people once more in an effort
1 restore the monarchy and
'-nkeusm. Therefore he has been
saSnated II is a warning 10
s'lmany, which presumably wants
| I'VE on and avoid suicide. 1t is
80 warning to the rest of the
ona which has been talking alto
.'aer TOO lightly Of the peril lurk-
q beneath The activities Of those