Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-19
GERMANY ENGAGED
in SECTIONAL CLASH.
Situation Similar to Historic
States Rights Controversy
Waged in U. S.
BY Gable to The Star.

BERLIN, June 18.-What the Mason
the Main line Is to Germany. That
famous river that flows into the Rhine
near Mainz and which Goethe loved as
boy In Frankfort Is not only q geo.
graphical division, but also a political
line of demarcation. Traditionally
South Germany Is the home Of liberal
ism and democracy, just as North Ger
many has always been dominated by
the reactionary Prussian Junkers.
In 1848 the German Liberals drafted
democratic constitution for a united
Germany. They offered the crown Of
their constitutional kingdom to Fred
erick william Nv Of Prussia, who scorn-
fully refused as he said Ito pick a
crown out of the gutter" So the task
Of unifying Germany was left to Bis
marck and Prussia. Consequently a
united Germany, instead of being built
on q democratic basis at Frankfort,
came into being as an autocratic state
dominated by Prussian Junkers.
Now once again democratic South
Germany is engaged in clash with the
Junker- ridden North Germany. With
Bruening fallen, the South German
States-Bayaria, Baden and Wurttem-
of defense of the German democratic
state as founded at Weimer against a
cabinet containing such typical Junkers
as Franz Won Papen-who once called
the American people "idiotic Yankees
Gen. Kurt Won Schleicher and Baron
Won Gayle.
The democracy Of these southern
States bears some resemblance to the
old-fashioned Jeffersonian democracy
which prevailed in the Southern States
in the United States. This democracy
was closely tied up with the jealous re-
gard for historic States rights" and
Bavaria views with as uneasy an eye
the encroachment Of the central gov
eminent at Berlin upon what she re-
CARDS as her privileges as Virginia once
watched the growing power Of Wash
ington.
South Germany has been filled with
uneasiness for some time by the de-
velopments in Berlin. The first warn
ing concerning the plots of the military
clique against Bruening came from Ba-
varia. The leading party in this State
is the Bavarian Peoples party, which
has strong Sympathies with the Center
party. to which Bruening belongs. Cath
ole Bavaria became indignant when
President Hindenburg allowed himself
to be persuaded by East Prussian Jun
kers to drop Bruening.
South Germany has long been con-
WINGED the Junkers east of the Elbe
have been getting more than their share
Of federal funds to keep their hope
lessly insolvent and badly managed es-
tates running Naturally, indignation
was great south of the River Main when
these Junkers got the ear of the Presi-
dent and formed cabinet of their
own. The indignation turned to alarm,
however. when it became known that
the Junker ministry was planning to
appoint federal commissioner to gov
ern Prussia
Bavaria did not relish the idea of the
Reich extending its powers still more.
It foresaw the time when Berlin might
appoint a dictator to govern Bavaria
and other southern States.
Fritz Schaeffer, leading official Of the
Bavarian government, who is regarded
as coming man" in Bavaria, made
a speech in Munich denouncing the
clique that brought about Bruening's
downfall 1t Is one of the euriosities
of the current political situation that
this action by South Germany has been
hSiled with joy and glee in Republican
and Socialist circles of North Germany,
which hitherto have been the sturdiest
champions of the strongly unitarian
State, while it has been most con-
demned by the Nationalist supporters
of the Won Papen cabinet. who have
hitherto been warm friends of States
rights.
Politics often make strange bedfel-
lows, but never more SO than when the
Won Papen Junker cabinet threw Fed
eralist and agnostic Socialists of North
Germany and States rights and Catho-
lie Bavarians into each others arms in
support Of a common cause.
(Copyrigilt, 1922