GERMAN HEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 February 1925, Page 2

GERMAN HEWS.

iOBTKALIAN AND NZ. CABLE ASSOCIATION GERMAN POLITICS. LONDON. Feb. 10. The Daily Telegraph’s Berlin correspondent says : “Chancellor Marx has been elected, by a small majority, to succeed Braun in the Prussian Premiershin. Doctor Marx is trying to fern: a Cabinet consisting of Centrists. Democrats and Socialists, but he cannot gain a majority unless he induces Hie Peonle’s Party to remain neutral. Dr Marx's election is a victory for the Renublieans over the Nationalists and the Communists, who wanted to defeat Braun. , LONDON. Feb. 11.

Derr Hocfle. who resigned from the Ministrv of Post and Telegraphs in the late Marx Cabinet, when accused m (•'"> neel inn with the Bainiat affair, cabled December 20th. and 30th. las been arrested,'after ouestioning by the Public Prosecutor. Tt was at first alleged that Hocfle was guilty of negligent administration of large sums of money t.eimvirarily accumulated in the (•■■lfers of his Department. Since the .matter has been brought to notice, elaborated charges of personal abuses of trust have been reported. Criminal proceedings have also been begun against Tinner, former Chancellor of the Reich.

COMMUNISTS ON TRIAL. LONDON. Fell. 11. The trial lias begun at Leipzig of sixteen Communists, charged with a variety of offences, arising from the building up of an organisation, the purpose of which was to carry out a Bolshevist rising in Germany. The pole e believe those accused include the chief instruments of the Moscow extremists who were responsible for a campaign of murder, treason and robbery in Germany. The most notable of the prisoners is a man named Skoblevsky. who claims to he a simple mechanic, hut the Public Prosecutor is convinced he is a oroiuincnl member of the Russian Bolshevist Party. with vast experience of underground organisations and that he was sent from Moscow to organise a lied Army in Germany and to take command when the moment for action came.

The trial is characterised by extraordinary precautions, the area within a mile of the Supremo Court being under martial law. machine guns hol.iig nested inside and outside of the building.

The proceedings opened with farcical attempts at obstruction, objection to tl:o iui.v’s interruniions. and so forth. Four of the prisoners applied to he supplied with ear trumpets. ft, is expected the proceedings will be lengthy.