Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-01-04
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

fUkEl6N Ar FAlkS
Germany's internal troubles, politi-
cal, economic and financial, were in
extricably tangled up with her inter-
national woes and brought her to SO
Y state that her regeneration
cnied at times almost hopeless. Roy
lists. separatists and communists CON
,lred rev0lted and rioted. Unem-
.1yr.ent increased and in the cities
all but the industrial magnates and
the profiteers were reduced to near
starvation, although the crops were
large and the rural districts We're over
running with food stuffs. The govern
ment tried to meet the situation by
keeping up the flood of paper marks
and of course the mark declined until
billions could be had for one dollar
and those who had anything to sell
refused to accept the practically
worthless currency. In August Chan
celler Cuno presented rescue plan"
to the reichstag. 1t was rejected and
Cuno resigned. Gustave Stresemann
succeeding him and forming the FIRST
coalition majority government in Ger
many's history. He undertook to re-
form the finances by the issue of
new currency, the renten mark, backed
by the eountry's resources. This was
far from successful.
. Throughout the year the royalisfs
or nationalists Of Germany were ex-
ceedingly active, those of Bavaria usu-
ally taking the lead In September
the Bavarians actually revolted against
the Berlin government and made Gus
tave Won Kahr dictator of the state.
The reiehstag thereupon gave Strese-
mann dictatorial powers. A little later
the socialist governments of Saxony
and Thuringia refused to obey the
chancellor, and he subdued them by
a show Of military force. He yielded
to Bavaria's demand for greater au-
tonomy, but this was not enough. On
November Hitler, leader of the Ba-
varian Fascist, and General Won Luz
dendorff attempted royalist coup
d'etat in Munich and other cities and
threatened to march on Berlin. This
revolt was rather easily put down
by the national police and the workers
and Hitler and Ludendorff were ar
rested. On November 10 Frederick
William, the former crown prince, sud-
denly returned to Germany from Hol-
land.
In October the separatists of the
Rhineland got into action and set up
a republic which was looked upon with
favor by France. However, it was
not able to maintain itself very sur-
cessfully, and there was almost cen.
tinuous fighting with the national
forces. Another separatist movemen,
was started in the Bavarian palatinate,
but it failed for the time being.
Late in November Chancellor Strese-
mann's coalition went-to pieces and.
being denied vote of confidence in
the reichstag, he resigned DIR. Helm
rich Albert, unpleasantly remembered
in America, and Adam Stegerwald both
failed to form acceptable ministries,
and so DIR. Wilhelm Marx, leader of
the Catholic party, was made chancel-
lor on November 20 and gptNtogether
cabinet that included Stresemann as
Foreign minister and that was expect
ed to carry on his policies.
The revolution in Spain, which was
connected with the unsatisfactory war
with the Moors, took place in Septem-
Der. The revolt, led by General
Primo Rivera. Marquis de Estella, was
against the cabinet and corrupt poll
ticians and also was an expression
of reaction against the growth of So
cialism and syndicalism among the
workers. The king supported it and
the cabinet resigned on September IA.
A military directorate was established
and Rivera was made sole chief of
the administration. The new govern
ment made itself popular at once by
a campaign on profiteering and gam
bling, by cutting expenses to the bone
and by other drastic measures of re-
form. Trial by jury was suspended
because Of the corruption of the courts.
Altogether. 1t was happy revolution
for Spain.
Bulgaria also had revolution. al
most bloodless, when Stamboulisky's
peasant government was overthrow
on June o ard the premier himself was
captured and killed. Professor Zank-
on was made head OF the new govern
ment In September the Communists
A. f.