STORM IN REICHSTAG

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16497, 6 August 1921, Page 3

STORM IN REICHSTAG

DR WIRTH'S WARNINC, MONARCHISTS MAKE * TROUBLE, The Berlin correspondent of the “ Manchester Guardian,” wilting on June 18, said : The scenes in the Reichstag yesterday and to-day are without precedent in the whole fifty years’ history of this Parliament. On Friday the Communist Herr Uemmele attacked a member on the Right, and only the intervention of lady members prevented a free fight between the two extremes. To-day Hemmele, after insulting a member of the Bavarian People’s Party three times, should, by rights, after the third time of being called to order, have left the Reichstag Building. Upon his remaining, the president was obliged to suspend the sitting several hours to prevent another fight. These scenes in tho Reichstag are typical of the inner storms that have been brewing in Germany for several months. Instead of the Communists being at the bottom of tho trouble, ns during the past years, the Monarchists, or, as the Chancellor termed them on Friday, “ Reichsbolschevisten,” are the cause of the disturbance.

Tlie storm in the Reichstag broke upon inquiries into the murder of the Bavarian member Gareis last week, and until now all mention of the critical Bavarian question has been carefully avoided. All enemies ci‘ the German Republic have made Munich their headquarters, and since the Kapp Putsch the Monarchists have set their hopes on the re-establishment of the old order from tho stronghold in Bavaria. Only differences of opinion concerning the claims of the rival houses of Hohenzollern and Wittelsbach have prevented more desperate adventures. Visions of tho separation of Prussia and Bavaria, a Danube Federation with Hungary, and an alliance with France float to-day before certain Bavarian eyes, and if till now these schemes have remained schemes only, 7 credit must be given for it to the Bavarian working classes which recognise, in spite of their hatred of Prussia, the cloven foot of militarism in all such projects. The Bavarian Monarchists, besides

fostering enmity against the Republic and the new Government, have entered upon an unparalleled campaign against the Jews from tlie Munich headquarters. Lately, at night, synagogues have been plastered with mud, and students scribble on the university wall remarks such as “ If coals are scarce, burn Jews and proletarians.” The attacks on Professor Hirschfeld, a Socialist member, will lie remembered, and in one official organ there appear week after week, in the language of Nationalist apaches, invitations to rid the world of political opponents. Members of the Government are openly termed “convicts,” and in official quarters, under Dr Kahr’s leadership, no steps are taken against the authors of these outrages.

The Bavarian member. Herr Unterleitner, in his speech on Friday investigating the murder of Herr Gareis, declared that the murderer is not unconnected with the Munich police. He named as the murderer of Gustav Landauer an officer named Freiherr von Gagern. whom no Court lias yet accused Fifty-six witnesses have volunteered information concerning other murders at the time of the Soviet Republic in Munich, and no Court has demanded their evidence. Herr UnterJeitner also declared that a political murder organisation is in close contact with the Munich police, and Herr Gareis is a victim of this. When the speaker quoted a remark of a student to the effect that the Communists are not Germans and should therefore be murdered, a member on the right called out, He’s quite right,” and the Reichstag fight followed. When the sitting began again Chancellor Wirth attacked this state of ffairs. and stated that the murder of Herr Gareis arid all other disturbances in Bavaria and other parts of Germany were due only to the campaign of the Right and its Press against the Republic and the Government., increased bevond measure since the acceptance of the ultimatum. If Germany is ever to be re-established, belief in brute force, to which she owes her downfall, must cease at last. Only democracy can savo her. Such sharp criticism of the Right has not been heard from any Chancellor, and through this safety valve in the Reichstag the clouds may be dispersed for a while. But the next crisis may be expected when the new taxes come up for debate. The fact that the Chancellor openly touched upon the Bavarian question may be accepted as proof that the worst perils are over. They lay in the Civil Guards and the “ Orgesch.” The complete disarmament of them will at last do away with all fear of civil war, that more than once of late has seemed dangerously possible.