The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-16
Crown Prince Seen as
Candidate for Throne
or Presidents Office
lCopyright, 1923, by Cosmopolitan New
Service.l


the ex-Crown Prince Frederick VIII
helm to private life" with his
family iii Gels, Sileaia, which has
coup that would bring either him or
the ex-Kaiser hack TO the throne Of
81 German empire represents q bril-
Iiantly clever political coup by
Chancellor Stresemann. Having re-
called Frederick William is Strese-
mann perchance grooming him for
king or the president Of the German
repubIic2 1t Is q question many
gravely ask.
The recaIlin Of the ex-crown
prince BY Stresemann certainly will
react favorably to the chancellor,
The former crown prince knows it
to be futile to take any Immediate
steps toward attaining either the
crown or the presidency, even e he
harbors such political ambition,
which he does not admit. But the
opposition Of the nationalistS toI
Stresemann has been greatly neus|
tralized by the return of the ex-heir
to the German throne, and the ma.
tionalists and militarists have found
q new rallying point.
On the other hand Stresennann
created an effective counter move
to Prince Rupprecht,s actions in Ba-
varia.
Bavaria is the pivotal factor In.
Frederick Williams political sphere
at present, for II Prince Rupprecht is
proclaimed king or Bavaria secedes
from the central government, It may
force his hand.
incidentally, Frederick William 81
strongly pro- British. Also, there are
some influential men in Downing
street who trust him. Certain it is
] II Britain really had wanted to, she
| could have prevented the ex-crOWn
princes return to German SOIL
But the German fleet that could
menace Britain lies at the bottom of
| the sea, and Frederick William has
none Of the sWashbuck king, treach-
erous, vain glorious double dealing
| qualities which in the eyes of Great
Britain made his father so danger
/ Gus to herself.
Candidates for President.
According to the Weimar consti.
| tuition, any German past the age
of thirty-five is eligible as candi-
date to the presidency. The win
ming candidate must swear he Will
safeguard the laws and uphold the
constitution of the reich. He can
be deposed by the reichstag If he
/ violates his oath or his duties.
Frederick William has no chance
of out-maneuvering Frederick Ebert
from the presidency, the saddle
maker politician is respected
throughout the nation. In many
| grave crises, his dignified calm
saved the day for the reich. He
has surprised even his bftterest
enemies. and silenced the most
venomous tongues which used to
sheer at and ridicule the ex-
saddler."
Equally, however, the opposition
toward Frederick William on per-
sonal grounds is on the wane and
reduced.
President Ebert Tired.
Ebert is tired He would rather
retire today than tomorrow, he has
often told his close friends. Only
a steadfast faith In his duty to his
country keeps him at his post. He
| Is the only one Of 1.-THE fathers Of
the revolution who remained at
the helm since the day of the big
crash and through all the trying
complicated changes Nn Germany
since then.
But Ebert is isolated and lonely.
| His party, badly battered in many
| upheavals and encounters, is near
collapse. AS political factor
commensurate with it's numerical
strength, it needs man like Ebert
to lead it. tout Of the desert" of
political impotence. No one who
knows Stresemann doubts he'd
rather be Frederick Williams ohan-
cellor than Ebert's.
The change may not come today
or tomorrow, perhaps even not at
all, but it is one of the big po-
tentialities today on the German
political horizon.