Evening star., 1925-02-28
EBERT, IGNORING JIBES, BROUGHT
GERMANY THROUGH MANY CRISES
Had Respect of PeopIe-Was Yorker AI,odys in In
terest of Lo,Uer Classes-Credited With De-
teating Trend To,Uard Reds.

ness world and which caused its
paper money to depreciate until its
money value was less than the paper
and ink of which II was made. Presi-
dent Ebert however, weathered one
storm after another and finally saw
the dawn of a new day for Germany,
which experts in government agreed
was brought about by ;he Dawes
reparations plan.
Was Son of Tailor.
President Ebert was born February
4, 1871, at Heidelberg, the son of a
tailor. He attended the elementary
schools, but never found time or
finances to enable him to attend the
Heidelberg University. Early in life
he became an apprentice in sad
dler's shop, and although he worked
II and IA hours day, he read and
studied a great deal at night. He
acquired the habits of industry and
hard work as a youth and neve- for
got them. AS president Of the re-
public he was said to have been one of
the hardest working men in the coun
try, and usually was astir before official
Berlin was slipping its morning coffee.
After he had learned his trade as
saddler, President Ebert began mi
grating from one town to another
until he finally settled in Bremen.
There he became intensely interested
in the socialiStic movement. In an
effort to help improve the conditions
of the working classes he took an &C
tive part in a cooperative bakery
movement and regularly was up at
o'clock in the morning making de-
liyeries of bread. And all the time
he kept expanding his knowledge by
reading books by the best authors.
Author of Several Books.
Ebert wrote several books detail
ing the circumstances under which
laborers lived and worked in the in
dustrial centers. These literary eff
forts attracted attention in his own
country and led to his acceptance of
a reportorial position on the Bremen
Bergerzeitung in 1891. He covered
police and court news, and in that
way received a training that stood
him well in after years
In 1900 Ebert became q trade union
secretary and a little later was chosen
a member OF the local governing as
sem mblage of Bremen. Five years later
he was elected q member of the pre-
siding board of the Social Democratic
party. and in 1912 was elected a depu-
" in the Reichstag. There he gradu-
ally forged to the front as a political
leader, and became head CT his party
for all Germany. In 1918 he was
chosen head of the main committee of
the Reichstag.
When Ebert became President of
the repu blic he declared that If hard
work, plus loyalty and application to
details, political and otherwise, would
hold the republic together there would
be no doubt as to its success. How he
has kept that pledge is shown by the
fact that no matter how his enemies
have criticized him none have accused
him Of loafing on the presidential job
Sought No Personal Gain.
That Ebert accepted the presidency
in the interests of the country and not
for personal gain is shown by the
manner in which he has since lived.
His salary has been a meager one as
head of nation, and when the gov
ernment made him an allowance for
social functions he returned il to the
treasury TO be used for other pur-
poses. State dinners and other social
functions at the executive mansion
were unknown during his incumbency.
The only social activities and they
were few, were when the President
desired TO receive a few friends. At
these the only refreshment served
was beer.
Horseback riding and walking were
the principal recreations of President
Ebert He cared little for automobiles
and seldom went to the theater. He
was stern and fat, but not particu-
larly good -natured. He seldom joked,
and scarcely ever more than smiled at
the jokes Of others.
President Ebert had unique
| method of handling politicians, es-
pecially those who were his enemies
or critics. Under fire he always held
| his temper and permitted his op,
ponents to talk themselves out. Then
| he would step in and have his say
which usually was final. In this man
ner he was credited with having
patched up innumerable party contro-
versies which had reached the break
| ing point.
President Ebert married in 1894, and
was the father of four children.