GERMANY'S MAN OF TERROR

Dunstan Times, Issue 3135, 18 September 1922, Page 7

GERMANY'S MAN OF TERROR

The murder of Dr Walter Rathena the German Foreign Minister, and 1 developments of the last fortnigJ brings the leader of the Nationalis Dr Helfferich, once more into prori nonce. When this arch-enemy of t proletariat entered the Chamber aft the murder, the Socialists rose in body and shouted, ','Seo the murdere Dr Wirth, you are the next." It was on a Friday that Dr Hel ferich delivered one of his characten tic vitriolic speeches against the Got eminent in general and Dr Rathena in particular. On the Saturday JJ Rathciiau was murdered.' In 1920 Dr Helfferich lost a libel ac tion against Herr Erzberger; in 192' Heir Erzberger was murdered. Di Helfferich's record is worth recalling Before the war Professor Dr Kar Theodor Helfferich was known, as a director of the Deutsche Bank and the Anatolian Railway: an excellent linguist, lie was also a lecturer in economics to the University of Berlin, and the author of several standard textbooks on the money market. He was strongly supported by the Kaiser, and became first Finance Minister, then Vice-Chancellor and Home Secretary in 1916, and ultimately German Ambassador to Russia in 1918. During the war he delivered a succession of inflammatory, arrogant speeches, in which most of his venom was directed against Great Britain. He continually assured his fellow countrymen that Germany had won. the war, and that England was completely cowed by the U-boat menace. In spite of his by no means despicable presence he alienated the Reichstag by his too pronounced self-confidence. *He worked hard and was exceptionally talented, but his cold, calculating demeanor created for him a multitude of enemies. He is now only forty-nine years old, and looks less. Were it not for a crafty pair of eyes he might be said to have an attractive and a strong face. His career has been short but stormy. During the war he was accused of having failed in every Government department that he occupied, and since 1918 he has been the constant butt of the Left Party, who have denounced him as a war profiteer and as being the cause of America's coming into the fray. He stands as a devoted adherent of monarchy, yet there are not many people who believe that this sleekhaired, neat, intellectual ex-Vice-Chancellor will ever sit at the right hand of kings, though it is pretty obvious that as an implacable the Socialists he should be idolised by the extreme Right Party, most of whom are of the officer class, deprived of caste and livelihood by the anti-royalist majority that now rules.