ASSASSINATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1921, Page 5

ASSASSINATION.

LEADING GERMAN KILLED. A POLITICAL CRIME. By Telegraph,—Press Asaq.—Copyright. London, August 20. Herr Erzberber, a former Cabinet Minister in Germany, has been assassinated in Berlin. Received August 28, 5.5 p.m. Berlin, August 27. Although Herr Erzberger retired from public life after the signing of the Armistice, it is believed pan-Germans, regarding him as the author of Herr Wirth’s taxation proposals to meet reparations, instigated his murder, which took place in daylight on a road near Griesbach, where Herr Erzberger was spending a holiday with his family. Two young men, meeting Herr Erzberger walking with Herr Diez (a Deputy in the Reichstag), opened fire with revolvers, killing Herr Erzberger with a dozen shots. Herr Diez was wounded.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

(Herr Erzberger was the leader of the Centre or Roman Catholic Party in the Reichstag before the war, and was a violent advocate of German war aims. In 1917 he was the author of the famous Reichstag resolution in favor of peace without annexations, but he approved of the rapacious Brest nitovsk treaty with Russia. He held Ministerial office in the post-war Cabinets. He was accused of corruption by Herr Helfferich, against whom he brought a libel action in 1920. His assassination was attempted on January 24, 1920.)