The New York herald., 1922-07-30
Again in Erzberger and
Rathenau Murders Work
ers Showed Their Power.
MIDDLE CLASSES DIVIDED
Trade Unions Strongest and
to Them Government Looks
for Safety.

Special Correspondence to THE NEW YORK
HERALD.
BERLIN, July 16.-Tne German Gov
ernment has called out the trade unions
for the defense of the republic. The
usual order of things is reversed in this
German republican crisis. Governments
do not ordinarily turn TO trade unions to
assure their existence-cn the contrary.
A State also--even communist one
shrinks from a general strike to sup
press rebellion at home, because strikes
are usually the best breeders Of trouble.
But the German Government, though
middle class one. now looks first to the
trade unions for defense against Mon
archists Should the rebellion start.
President Ebert intends to ask the trade
unions to call a general strike as in the
Kapp uprising two years ago.
High officials admitted to the corre-
spondent of THE New YORK HERALD
that the German Government feels that
it can count on the army. the Reichs-
wehr, In event of foreign conflict but
would not dare to rely on it to suppress
a Monarchist uprising mt home. Presi-
dent Ebert knows from bitter expert
once. when he had to flee from Berlin to
Stuttgart, that most of the officers OF
the Reichswehr are "kaisertreu" and
would welcome q Hohenzollern or ever
a Wittelsbach.
When the Kapp rebels marched into
Berlin two years ago President Ebert
found himself without An army against
Kapp. The republican Government was
ha mid ~la
and passive. Only the general strike
throughout Germany blocked the move
ment of troops and Of food. and finally
forced Kapp to his knees.
80 Bavaria Hopeless.
When Erzberger was killed year ago
the republican Government found itself
helpless to act in Bavaria. The trade
unions again took up the defense of the
republic and brought the pressure to
bear which forced Chancellor Won Kahr
to resign. Again, after the Ratheneau
murder, the trade unions demanded thai
the Government take energetic actor
against the Monarchists, emphasizing
their demand by calling out the millior
workers. They marched In close forma
ton throughout the streets OF ever,
German city calling for the heads of the
ist clubs.
What has happened to the German
middle classes which in the past formed
the backbone of the nation? They arr
no longer bloc with common Interest,"
and political solidarity. They have spill
apart into half dozen different parties
They no longer as class have tn
wealth in Germany Those with fixe'
incomes are the first victims of mar
depreciation and are worse of than tn
workers. The middle class. too. bore tn
brunt of war sacrifice In word the
are tired and demoralized.
Half of the German middle classc
would welcome back a monarchy in tn
hope of a return to some of the com
forts of the good old days. A fourt
would remain apathetic were there an
kind of a rebellion against the republic
They deplore political murder. but woul
not act against II. They would look. o
half hopefully on the theory that any
thing would be better than for thing
10 continue as they are.
Prefer Republic to Uncertainty
The last fourth. those who have foun
a place on the existing quicbsands j
Germany, would continue to support til
republican Government because 1t rer
resents security for their property an
is better than an uncertain future. Anon
them are few real democrats and re
publicans who see In a republic afte
an American or French model the be:
Government for germany. Such lack {
support makes 1t hard for any state
exist, especially one threatened from q
many sides as the German Republic.
The only other classes to which I'll
German Government could turn wer
the masses, the 15.000.000 workers an
office people who make up the rank an
file. Ten millions of these are member
Of Socialist trade unions. This mear
that a republican Government with
democratic programme menaced by !
own monarchistically inclined officia
and officers Is forced to look to socia
istically inclined masses for support.
Although the general trade unior
have Socialist program and wave re
flags on days of celebration, talking 81
ciaIization and naturalization. they a.
really not radical. They want law ar
order and protection for their little ga
den plots. They are not very enti'
Siastic about republican institution
They know almost nothing about theI
But they are somewhat reassured by II
fact that President Ebert, GradeDaue
Prussian Minister OF the Interior. al
Severing, Prussian Minister OF Defens
1. are former trade union leaders fro
their own ranks.
u in theory they cell themselves s
cialists In fact they arc budding dem
Gratis who know very definitely that tn,
are not Monarchists and do not want
monarchy back again. They hate .
mention of the old army. and regal
themselves as tho victims of the Gener
staff megaiomania. They turned o
for the old military court parades. b
now prefer to turn out for their ow
They have not forgotten the ol1 restri
tions against trade unions. They cor
plain and admit that times are hard b
would not change them to return to Il
old restraints.
Labor Largest Force.
An American travelling in Germai
recently remarked that the Germans a
tho laborers Of Europe. This organic
labor holds the immediate future of Go
many. now that class Differences ha
- mi tn