GERMANY.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15046, 14 April 1919, Page 5

GERMANY.

SITUATION INCREASINGLY CRAVE.

ANARCHY IN BRUNSWICK

VIOLENT FIGHTING AT MAGDEBURG.

CIVIL WAR EXPECTED IN BAVARIA.

SOVIET CONGRESS AT BERLIN

(Australian-N.Z^ Cable Association.)

rru ■ ! V Ondon» April 9. There was violent hghting at Magdeburg, a large number of the garrison joining jn. The Spartacusians supplied civilians with arms -and proceeded to attack police headquarters with a view' to rescuing Spartacus leaders. xuAx nx^ chy reign ?> and it is reported• that the casualties are heavy. Work is at a standstill. The revolutionaries have taken possession of the railways and post and telegraph offices. is absolute chaos at Munich where civil war is expected to be announced at any hour. • Nuremburg has become the pivotal centre of the new Bavarian Government. Hoffmann has established the Premier's office there. '

The Ministers at Berlin are silent regarding plans for counter-action The Government ..will probably adopt a characteristic policy of inaction. It is expected the republic of North Bavaria will be shortly proclaimed. The Congress, of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils at Berlin opened on Tuesday. • The city was comparatively peaceful. The general strike apparently has not materialised. The Bavarians' seats were unoccupied. Leinert presided. The first collision between the parties occurred on a proposal -to send fraternal greetings to Hungary and Russia, which resulted in cheers, counter-cheers and uproar. No decision was arrived at.

The Spartacusians are highly inflamed owing'to the failure of the Government to definitely promise Ledebour's release.

Maliska, a Majority Socialist, appealed to the Independents to renounce their desperate policy, which is regarded as significant and a positive proposal to come to an understanding. The Australian Press Association learns that evidence from Germany shows that the political situation is serious.

Scheidemann's Government 'has little power to enforce measures particularly in the industrial districts, where there are daily sporadic outbursts of anarchy which are a prelude to an outbreak, on a large scale now being arranged. There is a possibility that the German Government is imitating Hungary by resigning power to the extremists.

The Munich revolutionary Government has ordered the release of all war prisoners, including thousands of Russians. . , •