Evening star., 1923-11-06
The German Puzzle.

Berlin in the throes of bread riots
and looting; troops taking positions
along the frontier of possible dis
turbance; demands by Bavaria, al
ready in the hands Of dictator, that
the reich be also placed in such
hands; the Rhineland separatists
evacuating the points seized in the
first rush for the establishment of a
distinct autonomous State-Such is the
situation in Germany today, a situa-
tion of serious danger. Moreover
there is a distinct threat of a mon
archical uprising, d ''putsch" in favor
of the restoration of royalty to power.
Orders have recently been given to
secretly formed bodies of monarchical
troops to mobilize on Wednesday. to-
morrow. From Berlin have gone orders
for troop movements to counteract
these monarchical maneuvers. Tomor-
row may bring a conflict.
There is something rather ludicrous
In the frankness with which the
mOnarchists have proclaimed their in
tentionS. Have they needed publicity
to round up their forces? Or have
they been bluffing, to frighten the re-
publican leaders? Certainly, if the
''putsch" is i serious one, genuinely
intended to carry through to an issue,
it was most indiscreet to allow the
word to appear that the armed forces
supporting it We're to assemble for ac-
ton on a fixed date.
The bread riots in Berlin bring to
light d fact which shows the utter
Generalization of the economic condi-
tons. Yesterday the price of Il loaf of
bread was 40 billions of marks. To-
day, according to late dispatches, it
has been reduced. by order of the
government" to 50 billions. History
contains no such record of frenzied
finance.
The Germany of today is mass of
the Germany of tomorrow will be can
not be foretold. There are powerful in
fluences al work, secretly, it would
seem, to bring about some sort of ad-
justment. Many factors are involved.
There are the monarchists, who wish
one of the royal houses established
the Wittlesbachs in Bavaria or the
Hohenzollerns in Prussia or all Ger
many. There are the industrialists,
who want something that is not yet
quite clear, but evidently a Germany
that will be at their control for the
exploitation of the industries of the
country, and incidentally the working
people, for private profit. There are
the socialists, who are honestly seek
ing to evolve a state condition that
brings Germany closer to the ideal of
general welfare. There are the COM
munists, who want to see Germany
sovietized There is Russia. that wants
the communists to succeed. There is
France, that wants to see Germany
put on a paying basis, yet kept in a
condition of military helplessness, to
lessen the menace to French security.
There is England, that wants to see
German industry revived, to give
stimulus to English trade and indus
try.
Out of all these elements may come
new Germany, perhaps monarchical
despite the prohibition of the allied
countries; perhaps republican in the
present form; perhaps communistic
after the Russian pattern; perhaps
split into separated units. This may
be the hour of decision. Or, again, this
may be merely another Of the crises
that have not proceeded to an issue.
There is much that is mysterious in
mystery, which is perhaps possessed
by no one outside of Germany, it is
impossible to foreteu the result.