Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03
CONTINUED From First Page)


accomplished for the black-red- yellow
flag Of the democracy. His policy en-
braced the Dawes plan, Locarno, the
League of Nations, the Young revision
and The Hague After diplomacy
which he had engineered, he saw the
French move out of the Ruhr, he saw
the allied flags come down from over
Cologne, he saw the British Tommies
leaving WieSbaden while tear~Stainsd
German maidens waved them of. and
finally he saw the liberation of the
Rhine.
The prime decision to be taken by
StreSemann's successors naturally
hinges upon the peace offensives," the
Stresemann policy of restoring Ger
nany'S foreign credit not by Saber rat
ting but by economic pacts for the
common good of Europe, reciprocal
guarantees for the safety of estab-
lished frontiers and an atmosphere of
mutual aid and confidence. Now that
he is gone, who is there to take his
place? Will the solutions he visualized
fer the peace of Europe be understood
by his successors?
Men He Has Trained.
Germany is fortunate IN possessing
picked and carefully trained by StreSe-
mann during his lifetime. They were
his associates in government and in
diplomacy. They are now the heritorS
of his program. CurtiuS is. like StreSe-
mann, an economist. Werner Won
Rheinbaben and Rochus Won Rhein-
baben have long been in the foreign Of
flee and the latter has written the au-
thoritative biography of his master.
Carl Won Schubert, his StaatSsekretar in
the Wilhelmstrasse, shared with Strese-
mann the inspiring hour when Ger
many, in the Hall of the Reformation
at Geneva, was readmitted into the So
ciety of other nations by being given
a seat in the League council. DR.. Won
Hoesch, who may go farther than any
of these colleagues. was Stresemann'S
appointee for a most difficult post, that
of the Reich's ambassador to Paris. If
these men did not originally hold
Stresemann'S views, they have come to
share them. They are sort of re-
serve corps for the carrying on Of
"Realpolitik" Each has been formed
to cope with the international prob
lens of Europe and to withstand OBJ
struction within the Reich itself.
Step by Step Unity.
stresemann had not faced the allies
He had been forced to build up his
support at every step. Treason is an
accusation which twice was brought
against him for his policy OF recon-
Citation. The first cry of treason
was general in the reactionary press at
the time that he was preparing, at
Locarno, for such an understanding
with France as would make possible
future trade treaties and European
tranquility He considered the guar
anty of certain western frontiers es-
Sential If the table were ever to be |
cleared for business. How reluctantly
his explanations were accepted by those
parties of the right which were not in
dustrial may be understood by the
facts that his departure from Berlin
was secret, from guarded station, and
that on reaching the Swiss frontier he
proceeded not by special train but by
private motor. Every precaution was
taken in fear of plot of assassination.
For the second time in his life treason
was being charged against Stresemann
at the very hour when he died. The
charge embraced not only Stresemann,
but also Muller, .Schacht and every
other member of the government VINO
enjoyed any prominence whatever in
the drafting of the Young plan or in the
conference of The Hague. The reac-
tionary party, working through that
part of the Weimar constitution which |
establishes the initiative and the refer
endum as parts of the German republic |
can, machinery, was getting together a
petition of 5000 names which was to !
cali for an election to decide whether
the whole acting cabinet was not guilty
of a capital offenSe.
Both Open and Secret.
Such tactics were being carried on. |
both openly, with a great uproar, and |
ominously, in secret societies. Since |
Stresemann's death they have not been |
heard from. They constitute the guerilla |
warfare Of the constitutional govern
ment.
Such conversions as that of President |
Won Hindenburg demonstrate the man
ner IN which, slowly yet without pause, |
Stresemann'S European policy won over |
the German people. Today the vast ma !
jority of them are mourning him as the |
one man who might best have restored |
the shattered prestige of the Father |
land. He who rises to carry on Strese- |
mann'S program in Stresemann's name |
may hope to find the bulk of the ma |
ton behind him.
Like all great statesmen, Stresemann
was an opportunist. He had his own |
program, yet before imposing it he care |
fully took the pulse of every one of the |
center parties. His power rested upon |
their support. He needed them to ratify