Evening star., 1924-03-16
NO TEARS ARE SHED
AS RElCHSTAG DIES
Maximilian Harden Says Parlia-
ment Eliminated Itself From
Public Confidence.
DISCREDIT TO REPUBLIC
Recent Doings Held vapid and
~ Pointless, He Says.
DISCREDIT TO REPUBLIC
BY MACMILLAN HARDEN.

BY Radio to The Star.
BERLIN. March 15.-The reichstag,
which has just been dissolved. dies
unwept. Public opinion is not even as
tonished at it's demise. The renchstag
eliminated itself practically several
months ago through the transfer Of
dictatorial powers to the govern
ment. It's doings, vapid and point
less, were buried on the inside pages
of the newspapers. People didn't
even read about it.
y This reichstag, in which sat 1S0
socialists and a couple of dozen other
men. elected under democratic colors,
succeeded in discrediting the German
republic democracy and socialism
more thoroughly than the widest
monarchist could have dared to hope.
How thoroughly it proved that in
Germany, at least, parliament is only
troublesome hindrance in difficult
situations, is shown by the events
that occurred during it's dying hours.
4 Modest Query Brings Rebuke.
p The modest question of a deputy
whether history will term Gen. Lu-
dendorf great military leader
evoked hail of indignant cries Of
-.Shame.''
The general, as the all-powerful
commander of an army of unexcelled
bravery. lost the war. and was forced
" ueIHdHo thrice on d single Qay the
speediest armistice. Nevertheless.
shame"
1t was said in 1918 that only the
counsel of three Jews-Ballin, Fried
faender and Rathenau-had impelled
the kaiser to a cessation Of hostili-
ties. AS matter of fact, the rich
and utterly unpolitical coal magnate,
Eriedlaender, was already dead then /:
Sallin, creator of the Hamburg
bringing his ideas to Wilhelm's at
tention; Rathenau, who always
prnnhesied cleverly and falsely, had
written in August, 1918, that Frances
showed back to the Pyrenees: he re-
garded the wars end in October as
premature"; considered the supreme
command too neurasthenicaliy anx-
ious, and without any knowledge of
the real situation, called for contin-
uation of the war.
;, 1t has been proved beyond doubt
that Ludendorff and Hindenburg
alone demanded and achieved the
armistice, permitting all the condi-
tions to be dictated by Marshal Foch.
But the fable of the three Jewish be-
trayers circulated further and was
not denied in the reichstaE.
Demand of Bnvarian Party.
AT the same time the program Of
the Bavarian peoples party. branch
manded punishment of those respon-
sible for the revolution in 1918 and
restoration of the monarchy. first of
all in Bavaria. This state, too, has a
republican constitution. Publicly and
officially. however, the former Crown
Prince Rupprecht is termed his maj
esty" by the states highest repre-
sentative.
All OF these and similar things
which are not unimportant for de-
mocracy'S existence were not even
mentioned in the reichstag. Nobody
asked by what right a man whose ia
ther was forced to leave the throne in
1918 could become king years later
under a republican constitution. One
wonders whether the republics reign
ing party is not likely to bring to
trial on a criminal charge those re-
sponsible for the revolution that made
il republic.
Earlier the reichstag had made all
conceiS able experiments with the
currency and taxes, had fearfully
damaged Germany'S finances and in
dustry by hopeless resistance in the
Ruhr, had revoked the principle of
equality of all citizens before the law
and made possible the state of siege,
che military dictatorship and unjust
and exceptional laws Of every variety