EVENTS DETAILED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10544, 22 March 1920, Page 6

EVENTS DETAILED

THE DOWNFALL OF KAPP. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, March 18. Berlin messages give further details of the events loading to Kapp’s downfall. Members of the Imperial Council on Tuesday night demanded a conference with Luttwitz, who in a. long speech deal; with Germany’s political and economic position, and finally admitted that Kapp had not succeeded in securing oven tho support ol i ho Conservatives upon which he relied, and had also failed to fill any Ministries except those of Agriculture and the Post Office. The employees of tho Post Office immediately told Kapp’B nominee that they would not take his order*. Tho conference was still sitting when the Communists’ ultimatum arrived, demanding the immediate withdrawal of troops, in default of which a soviet w-ould be proclaimed. Thereupon Luttwitz announced that he end x ho officers of tho Ueichewchr were willing lo fight tho Communists under tho Bauer Government Negotiations were resumed on Wednesday by representatives of the National Liberal Centre. People’s, and Democratic parties, who accepted Kapp’s resignation at noon. Tho negotiations continued throughout the afternoon. and finally Luttwitz oilered to resign. His successor, von Seekt, undertook that the “Iron” and Marino divisions would return to Docboritz at the earliest moment, and bo demobilised there. Tho National Assembly will probably return to Berlin in a few days,’and a radical reorganisation of the old Gov eminent, regardless of party, which was begun before the coup d’etat, will be carried out speedily, Herr Nosko is to arrive in Berlin by aeroplane to-day to co-operate in organising the position. . Fighting was still proceeding in the suburbs of Berlin at an early hour on Thursday morning. Ther* wn ous fighting in the Rhino and Westphalian districts. Thirty were killed and seventy wounded at Hagen; and two hundred were killed in tho Dortmund district, and the workers seized Dortmund. Labourers in Leipzig erected barricades in tho suburbs and advanced to the centre of the town, where fighting has gone on since Wednesday afternoon. The leaders of all tho Socialist parties, the Dertiocrate, and the Centro party, agreed that the National Assembly elections should bo hold in June, and that the President should be elected by the whole of tho people. Tho Trade Union Congress demands Nosko’s resignation and tho puni.-h----ishment of Kapp. Meanwhile, President Ebert has ordered the Imperial Court at Leipzig to institute actions against Kapp, Luttwitz, von Jagow, Admiral Trotha (Chief of the Admiralty), and Captain Ehrhardt. THE! PROJECTED CABINET. AMSTERDAM, March 18. It is expected that a now German Cabinet will be constituted on Friday, including Horr Schiller, as Chancellor, General von Seekt as Minister foi War, and Count Cuno as Minister for Finance. PROPOSAL TO APPOINT A DICTATOR. LONDON, March 17. Kapp has retired in favour of some person of-greater authority, preferably a soldier ,pf high rank. The National Assembly is to meet in Stuttgart to-day, and a resolution will .bo proposed appointing a dictator to restore the constitution. The National Army remains loyal to tho old Government, and preparations are be. ing made to march to Berlin. Noske’s troops firmly hold Munich. COMMUNIST SUCCESSES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. BERLIN, March 18. The Communists in Westphalia ara rapidly coming to tho front, attacking both Nosko and the revolutionary troops. Communists at Weeter attacked the Reichswehr forces, and the latter brought up a battalion of artillery The Communists captured the guns and forthwith executed nil tho officers. There was a similar affair at Henne, where tho Communists were victorious. There are various reports regarding Kapp besides that of suicide. It is said that ho .was arrested by Spnrtacists and led off from Berlin. NOSKE INTERVIEWED. LONDON, Mnreh 18, The Stuttgart correspondent'of the “Daily Express” interviewed Herr Nosko. He, said ho was always pertain that n majority of the officer class were not devoted adherents of the Republic, hut he did not imagine they would he such fools as to attempt to overthrow the Government. 'Most of those who were likely to nttemnt. to foment a counter-revolution had already been dismissed, and tho others feared discharge. “I could not dismiss more.” ho said, “because there were an insufficient number of loyal Republicans available. However. T am now’ purging tho army, and inflicting

tho severest punishments. There can bo no question of an amnesty for men guilty of high treason." INDEPENDENTS 7 CHANCE, BERLIN, March 18. The chief reason tor von Rapp's resignation was want of money, as the State Bank refused to pay the demands of tho new Government. The leaders of the Majority Parties were summoned to a conference in tho Reichstag on Wednesday afternoon, and it was expected that a Provisional Government would be formed in tho evening. General Seekt has succeeded von Luttwitz in command of the troops in Berlin, while the Baltic troops have been sent from tho city. The Independent Socialist leaders in the meanwhile have issued a proclamation that tho proletariat does not see the point of reorganising working men’s forces for the benefit of Ebert, and proposes to secure power for itself. Cohn arid Daumig have accordingly proclaimed a republic of workmen’s, soldiers’, and sailors' councils. < GRAVE DEVELOPMENTS. LONDON, March 17. The latest telegrams via Cepenbagen indicate grave new developments. There was bloody fighting on Tuesday night at Spandau (a suburb of Berlin) between soldiers and communists, and sixty-fivo were killed and a large nunv her wounded. The position last night in Berlin was most serious, and a general rising by the Socialists was feared. The Independents and Communists proclaimed a republic and sent Rapp a list of their Ministry, together with an ultimatum. Rapp replied by declaring that martial law will be drastically enforced. Pickets throughout the city, were strengthened, and all citizens must be indoors by nightfall. Von Hindenburg has assumed tlhe role of peacemaker. He telegraphed to Rapp, urging the withdrawal of the troops and tho dissolution of the new Government, provided early elections were held. Von Hindenburg sent President Ebert a copy of the telegram. Earlier Berlin messages agreed that both the old and the new Governments have most to fear from a renewal of the Spartacist outbreaks. Rapp stated yesterday 'that he had put a§ide the negotiations with the old Government in order to concentrate against the Communists. Has Government expected a revolt immediately. Stuttgart telegrams state that extreme Radical developments have already begun in Solingen, Essen, and elsewhere in he Rhineland. The Spartacista are only waiting for an opportunity to seize power and declare a dic- , talorship. A Soviet has been established in several places, including Stuttgart. The Spartacists are relying on the support of 200,000 Russian prisoners of war still in Germany. A violent agitation in favour of a Soviet Republic and an alliance with Russia has been begun in Berlin by the Independents and Communists. Trouble originated yesterday by workmen charging the military, who were marching in the Bninnenstrasse playing patriotic airs, and a number were killed and wounded. Another skirmish at CharI lottenburg resulted in several being killed and wounded. "Workmen in Strausberg, eastward of Berlin, disarmed the town militia. The casualties in. Spandau were almost entirely confined to civilians. Eights in other parts of Berlin district continue, including some in the inner portion, near tho oastle, | where eight were killed and twelve wounded. COMMUNIST COMMITTEE OF ACTION. BERLIN, Mhroh 17. It is reported that tho Independent Socialists Cohn and Daumig have formed a Communist “committee of notion’’ with a view to establishing a Soviet Republic and a Proletariat Dictatorship. The committee sent an ultimatum to Rapp demanding the withdrawal of his troops by to-night, and Rapp agreed, provided an amnesty was granted. The “Frankfurt Zeitnng" * states that tho Vice-Chancellor, Herr Schiffer, who was Minister for Justice in Bauer’s Cabinet, but sided with Rapp, lias taken over tho reins of government from Rapp. Tho streets are brilliantly illuminated at night as a precaution against «, Communist outbreak Trebitsch Lincoln, the Censor, has warned foreign journalists that it is perilous to frequent the streets at night The city is quiet. A complete general strike continues, and tho aas, electricity, and water supplies in Berlin are interrupted. Aeroplanes hovered over tho city all day dropping proclamations exhorting the citizens to remain loyal to tho old Government. OUTRAGE AT WIESBADEN. Australian and N 71 Aawwietion. PARTS, March 17. Germans in Wiesbaden attacked two female typists attached to tbo_ French Mission, and one died of her injuries.