GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1918, Page 6

GERMANY.

ACUTE SITUATION.

COMMUNISM GAINING GROUND. QUARRELLING SOCIALISTS. The Hague. Dec. 3. The situation at Bremen grows more acute. It is typical of much that is happening' in the industrial centres, where communism is gaining ground. Tho Radical Socialist, Knief, addressing an open-air demonstration, advocated a class war and declared that the establishment of a National Assembly would only help the Bourgeoisie to regain its supremacy. The workers must have their own army, secure predominance, and disarm the Bourgeoisie, which was collecting the ruin 9 of the old army for the purpose of asserting its claims. . A majority of those present at the meeting voted against summoning the Assembly and unanimously approved of an army for tho proletariat. A subsequent meeting of the Bremen Soldiers' Council was twice interrupted by the extremists from the streets, where a huge and threatening crowd assembled. Herr Knief secured order, and the Council voted by 07 to 56 in favor of a National Assembly. It also rejected the proposal to disarm the Bourgeoisie and arm the proletariat by 100 to 19. The announcement of the decision evoked roars of "Shame!" The chairman explained that the vote was necessary for the sake of the country's good.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. The Hague, Dec. 3.

The whole of the Germna press complains of the inability of Soviets or Executive Committee to carry out practical administrative work. The various Socialist groups are nothing but discussion clubs involved in fierce quarrels. The Deutsche Tages Zeitung bays: If misrule continues Bolshevism will finally triumph. Under the heading "The Berlin Witches' Cauldron," the Cologne Volks Zeitung describes an extremely rowdy meeting of the Berlin Soldiers' Council, revealing many scandals connected with revolutionary methods of administration. It also disclosed that the officers had burned important documents recently arrived from Brussels showing the Old Regime's responsibility for the war.

The discussions became bo heated that the Bavarian, Baden and Alsace defecates withdrew, declaring that the Berlin Council had adopted terrorism. The Baden representatives were subsequently induced to return.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

FOUGHT TO THE END. . GERMAN ADMISSION RESERVES EXHAUSTED. London', Nov. 18. During the armistice consultations the German envoys said to Marshal Foeh: — "The German army is at your discretion, Marshal; our reserves, men, and munitions are exhausted." A distinguished German war correspondent states that he besought the Chancellor and others at the end of last August to realise that the troops 'were collapsing and that the public were at their wits' ends. They were adamant and unbelieving

HERR EBERTS DESCRIBED. "BEST POSSIBLE CHOICE." London, Nov. 15. The Daily Mail saya: "The Kaiser makes way for the saddler Eberts. The harnessmaker is one of the most forceful personalities of German Socialism. He is 47 years of age, short, sturdy, and dark, with bushy hair and a heavy moustache, and an exceptionally swarthy complexion. He is a man of action, in contradistinction to Schneidemann, who is a man of words. He has great influence over the workers, who have made the best possible choice."

CONVOCATION OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. Stockholm, Dec. 3. The tension in Berlin has somewhat eased as the result of the decision to convoke the National Assembly. Herr Branting (Swedish Socialist leader) telegraphed jto Herr Ebert approving of the calling of the Assembly, which he hopes mil produce union of parties and stability of administration. A meeting of 4000 officers in Berlin, representing non-commissioned officers in the army and navy, passed a resolution declaring that- both services were determined to help the Government to combat Bolshevism. —Aus.-N.Z.. Cable Aasn. MILITARISM RESPONSIBLE FOR WAR. London, Dec. 3. In an interview with an English journalist, Herr Haase, member of the German Ministry, declared that the guilt of the war lies with Austro-German militarism. The Government is investigating the pre-war methods of the German Foreign Office, especially the handling of secret funds. The.Government is not decided on the question of dealing with the Hohenzollerns. It is, thought that they will be sufficiently punished by the international odium they have raised. —Aus.-N.Z, Cable Association and Reuter. EASTERN ARMY IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION. Copenhagen, Dee. 3. The German People's Commissary, Herr Barth. deplored the situation of the army in the East, which he feared might suffer the fate of Napoleon's army ; in 1814. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.