Evening star., 1923-08-11

lor Cuno handed President Ebert
his resignation today, says Gen.
traI News dispatch from Berlin.
The president refused to accept 1t.
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, August ia critical
food situation. superinduced by a
shortage of supplies and by prices
beyond the reach of the workers,
who are being paid in worthless
paper marks, together with an in
ternal, economic and financial stu
alton that is regarded as highly
favorable to the effective spread of
bolrhevik propaganda, may be said
to be the immediate causes of the
impending retirement Of the Cuno
ministry. Reichstag circles today
accept the fall of the present gov
ernment as an accomplished fact.
With talk of panic and "putsch"
filling the air in Berlin and in the
great industrial Centers Of the reich.
the present coalition leaders believe
that the situation demands the early
retirement of Herr Cuno's non-parti
san cabinet and the appointment of
successors who will be able to COM
mand the confidence of the socialist S
No Outspoken Ill VIII.
While there is no outspoken feeling
of i'll will or hostility toward the chancel-
lor and his associates. there is neverthe-
less a widespread feeling that this
cabinet is to be blamed for permitting
the internal situation TO drift into the
present state of chaos. II is also felt
gram should succeed him.
The reichstag leaders conferred last
night with President Ebert and an
agreement was reached that any change
of government should be effected with
the least possible convulsions in order
to prevent the situation from drifting
into the hands of the communists. This
group in the last few days has been
conducting widespread campaign,
which has resulted in sporadic strikes
throughout Germany The communists
have also been threatening the united
socialists and have influenced their fol-
lowing.
Situation at Climax.
affairs have been brought to a climax
by the decision of the united socialists
TO support the communist motion of no
confidence which is to be called up
before the reichstag next Monday. The
united socialists heretofore have held
a position of benevolent neutrality"
toward the governments attempts to
resusCtate the country, and planned
not to vote when 4 question of conf
dence came up. However, leaders of
the party now realize that if the rank
and file of the membership are not to
be won over to the communist standards
in even greater numbers. definite action
must be taken.
Should Herr Cuno be forced to re-
sign it is expected that DR. Gustav
StreSemann, leader of the German
peoples party. will be summoned by
President Ebert to organize a coali-
fion that would include the united
socialists.
Warns of Incitement.
The president has warned agitators
that pamphlets urging the overthrow
of the constitutional government
must not be distributed. and that
there must be no Indictment to acts
that would endanger public safety
Three months imprisonment and
maximum fine of half billion marks
are the penalties for violation Of the
order.
\ proclamation issued by President
Ebert this evening forbids the cir
culation of pamphlets demanding the
overthrow of the constitutional gov
eminent or Indictment to acts of vio-
lenCe or acts that are likely to en-
danger public orders. The penalty
mentioned in the proclamation for
violation OF the decree is three months
imprisonment and a fine not exceed
ing 500000.0O0 marks.
Premiums of 100 per cent were paid
freely on the bourse. yesterday for
paper marks which now are so scarce
that a man with a checkbook does
not hesitate to pay for them at the
rate of two for one.
The strike of the printers, which
ended today. had complicated gravely
the moneYleSS situation by tying up
the Lncounted batteries of the Reichs-
banks printing presses. The Reichs-
bank and all the big and little private
banks locked their gates at noon to
escape the long lines of clamoring pa
irons.
Humor In Situation.
While the currency shortage is not
void of humorous phases, 1t neverthe-
less is contributing a serious aspect
TO the prevailing nervousness and ir-
ritability, since 1t Is inconveniencing
the workers and middle classes, who
are accustomed to ready cash.
The Prussian government today was
unable to mobilize enough currency
TO meet its police pay roll and the Of
ficers are now in much the same plight
as tourists, who are unable to lay
their hands on sufficient currency to
pay their hotel bills and railroad
fares.
The General Electric Company was
the first of the big industrial plants to
organize food-distributing bureau
For the benefit Of it's employees.
The strike movement, which is
bringing about a tremendous discrep-
Rncy between increasing food prices
and the wages of workmen. threatens
to become exceedingly serious.
Nearly all the Hamburg shipyards
are closed because the managers have
been unable to accede to the workers
demands for immediate increases In
wages. Among the workers generally
there is a disposition to take recourse
to strikes unless wages are substan-
tfially increased. Even in the big fac
tories, where strikes have not occur
red, there is a disposition to adopt the
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