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Show NEWS REVIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS German Convulsions Reveal the Spirit of Revolt With Military Resources Still Large. RED ARMIES ATTACK POLAND Fighting Severe With Poles Showing Splendid Splrft Islamic Situation an Anxious One Peace Treaty and Democratic Platform Higher Coal Prices. By E. F. CLIPSON. Germany's convulsions reveal a hot-lied hot-lied of revolt. Although the treaty of Versailles aimed to thoroughly cripple the nation in a military sense, reducing reduc-ing its army to only sullicient strength for internal needs, it could not stamp out the heritage of long years of militarism. mili-tarism. Germany is no less n nation of soldiers today than it was in 101S. These soldiers, bred under an arrogant system nnd trained to kill, have been exhibiting in full measure the results of their teaching, even though it is a fight of brother against brother. Germany Ger-many was disarmed in the larger sense, but the allies, as they did not occupy the country, could not reach the immense stocMc of smaller cannon, rilles and ammunition, mlnenwerfers, flammenwerfers, etc. Events since the overthrow of the Kapp revolution indicate in-dicate that each peasant has arms and Hie ability to use them. Civil war would be in full blast if the various groups did not luck cohesion. The. Ebert government, displaced for five days by the Kapp revolution and then suddenly confronted by a counter-revolt of radicals instituted during the general chaos, appears to be slowly slow-ly struggling back to authority. The crisis has not entirely passed, but an easing of the situation is indicated. This is especially true in Saxony and some other states where socialism is strong but where the moderate socialists social-ists seem to have prevailed for the time being at least, over the radicals. Conditions have been most acute in tli e districts bordering the east bank of the Rhine, especially in the Uuhr basin, or coal mining region. This area has been occupied by the Sparta-cides, Sparta-cides, bolshevists, communists or whatever ono chooses to call them, the occupation being by a large, well-armed well-armed and effective force. The town of Wesel, an industrial and railroad center of great strategic importance, has been besieged. Inasmuch as most of the coal conies from the Ruhr, occupation oc-cupation of it and complete cessation of mining operations for a period of ten days would be sufficient to stop all Industry in Germany. Ebert has been forced to treat with the belligerents to the point of making important concessions. conces-sions. The affected area is pretty well hemmed In by the allied armies on the west, Holland on the north and government gov-ernment forces east and south. The principal weapon of the radicals has been their ability to prevent the production pro-duction of coal. Never since the armistice of November, Novem-ber, 1918, has there been greater need for a united front and united action among the allies. Unfortunately unison Is not apparent. The alliance so powerful pow-erful during the war. and which was to work great principles for the betterment bet-terment of the world, shows signs of disintegration. America has refused to ratify the treaty on account of the i League of Nations covenant. Great Britain and Italy are pursuing aims of their own. France Is charged with im-I im-I perialistic designs. Belgium is less friendly with France and England on account of what she regards as unfair treatment in the Holland settlement. France may be imperialistic, but the . rase is not yet proven. She is at least consistent in regard to the treaty of Versailles and the only one of the allies completely consistent. The i treaty was put into effect with a loud ! blare from all concerned that it would I he upheld. Should France be criticized for demanding that Germany live up to the pact? It is a time for the sinking of differences, dif-ferences, for unselfish co-operation and the wisest statesmanship. Ger many scotched the Sparlaeide menace last year, hut did not kill it. The Kapp rc ul u I l.iii was suppressed, but left a long ullendant train of evils. The present trouble is more stubborn anil may yet go entirely out of hand. The next convulsion may he uncontrollable. All Germany and all factions are omitting a loud wail over the terms of the peace treaty, stating that it enforces en-forces economic slavery on the nation and is at the bottom of the spirit of revolt. re-volt. It is to Germany's interest to make the claim. The man worsted in a light and all wrongdoers seek an amelioration of llie consequences of their nols. A negative light on the question of economic slavery is the action in a recent plebiscite of a portion por-tion of Sehleswig. The town of Ton-dern, Ton-dern, some other nearby towns and a considerable adjacent area, given an opportunity to join Denmark, where conditions are normal and taxation light, voted to stay with Germany. It Is not apparent that these people viewed the prospect of industrial servitude serv-itude as very serious. Germany's throes have been accompanied ac-companied . with much bloodshed. Complete figures are not available. Estimates of deaths from the revolt and following troubles range between ..,000 and 12.000. Earlier casualties were heaviest at Leipsic, where anarchy anar-chy reigned after an attempt to institute insti-tute sovietism. Much loss of life occurred oc-curred tit Berlin, Dusseldorf, Elborfeld .pni Essen. Russian soviet armies are engaged In the long-planned spring attack on Poland. The campaign has been launched on a 400-niile front, but the action has not been general. The bolshevists bol-shevists are using heavy artillery, tanks, armored cars and oilier apparatus appa-ratus captured from General Denikine on the south Russian front. Previous repulses of the enemy have been fortunate for-tunate for the Poles, as they have heartened the soldiers to a determined resistance and have affected somewhat some-what the morale of the Russians. Nevertheless, the engagements have, been severe, especially in the vicinity of Kovno, Kamenetz-Podolsk, Rzecy-cza, Rzecy-cza, Kalenkowitz, Zaslava and Slaro-Konstantinow. Slaro-Konstantinow. At t lie latter point, and in the vicinity of Bubar and Os-tropol, Os-tropol, the reds endeavored to force crossings of the Slutoh river. Kovno is an important railroad center and Kamenetz-Podolsk is valuable on . account ac-count of its strategic importance. The Polish resistance seems to have been effective at most points, although the army is under heavy difficulties, due to incomplete equipment and lack of commissary and medical supplies. Advices state, however, that the splendid splen-did spirit of the Poles is everywhere evident. Just how important is the bolshevik campaign remains to be seen. Indications Indica-tions are not lacking that it is a part of a general 'movement of which the German radical uprisings and disturbances disturb-ances in other portions of Europe are a part, and timed in consonance. Other Indications point to a strong demonstration to affect the various peace negotiations which the reds are carrying on with other nations. Peace, or at least an understanding with Great Britain and Italy, has been an active probability. A solid pact guaranteeing a cessation of hostilities between the bolshevists on one side and Poland, Letvia, Finland and Rou-mania Rou-mania on the other, has been delayed by the German revolt. A demonstration demonstra-tion In force at this time might shorten the delay and force a consummation favorable to the reds. In the darkness of Russian events and Lenine's designs de-signs nothing is very clear at this time. Anxiety has not decreased over the Islamic situation. Fighting spreads from Thrace through Anatolia to Arabia. Ara-bia. Semi-official French reports assert as-sert the revolt is connected with German Ger-man events. In Thrace the Turks are In open revolt and defiance against the allies. Greek troops oppose them. In Anatolia Italian troops have met a reverse re-verse at the hands of Mustapha Ke-mnl. Ke-mnl. In Cilicia and upper Syria the French are more than holding their own against the Turkish nationals. Mustapha Kemal and his supporters are supreme in the greater part of the interior of Asia Minor. British dread-naaghts dread-naaghts line the Bosporus and British troops occupy Constantinople. t!l"s dominating the center of events and preventing for the lime being, at least, compleie co-ooerntion between the various units of the nalionnlistk revolt. The sultan is powerless, but llie revolutionaries take little account of him, asserting Hint he has been guilty of treachery and lacks courage. The nationalistic movement claims authority au-thority in its opposition to the dismemberment dis-memberment of Turkey. Our government's reply to a request of the allied powers for President Wilson's views does not accord in all respects with the tentative proposal for settlement of the Turkish question. As stated, the view of the United States government isi that there is no danger of u general Mohammedan uprising up-rising if the sultan is put out of Constantinople; Con-stantinople; that Armenia should be accorded liberal treatment in the matter mat-ter of terrilory, including an outlet to the sea; that no government should have a paramount interest in the development de-velopment of Turkish territory merely because such government was a belligerent bel-ligerent and that the Dardanelles should be administered by an international inter-national body on which a place should be reserved for Russia when that country is finally rehabilitated. The tentative plan of settlement as advanced ad-vanced by the allies was for certain definite dominating influences by other powers and laid stress upon the danger dan-ger of a general Moslem uprising in sympathy with Turkey. The note of the United States asserts that the other Moslem people have nothing In common with Turkey and contributed to Hie defeat of the Turks in the war. Senator Knox's resolution to declare de-clare the war with Germany at an end dUP not get before the senate so soon after the defeat of the peace treaty as was anticipated. Some changes in the resolution and a smoothing out of difficulties were found necessary. A question has also been advanced as to (be constitutionality of ending a war by declaration. Unless internal conditions con-ditions in Germany should render it inadvisable, it is scarcely doubted that a majority will he secured and the resolution res-olution passed, thus ending the theoretical theo-retical state of hostility and permitting permit-ting the resumption of trade and diplomatic dip-lomatic relations with Germany. Meanwhile it is not certain that the defeated treaty will become openly and squarely an issue for the next campaign. If President Wilson can secure se-cure the adoption of a plank in the platform at San Francisco declaring for ratification without changing the League of Nations covenant it will be a campaign issue. But the same opposition oppo-sition which developed in his owi. parly and prevented ratification of th-treaty th-treaty in accordance with his prograni. is likely to prevent the adoption of & platform plank to his liking. The treaty Is sure to be a big talking issue in the campaign, but may not be an official platform Issue. No escape from hlgrier coal prices seems possible; incidentally another strike of miners is not outside the range of probabilities. President Wilson Wil-son has ordered termination of government gov-ernment price control on April 1 and has asked miners and operators to negotiate ne-gotiate n new working agreement on the basis of the majority report of the coal strike settlement commission. This will permit a partial absorption in coal prices of the 27 per cent wage increase recommended in the report. Also the increased freight rates which the interstate commerce commission is expected to grant will be taken care j of in an increased price for coal. Danger Dan-ger of a strike arises from the fact of Hie expiring contract between miners and operators, which also terminates at the same time as government price control. Anthracite miners have shown a disposition not to take action until a new contract can be considered. In the bituminous field the conciliatory spirit is not so evident. Trouble looms for Henry Ford and his active supporters, If the recommendation recom-mendation is adopted of Governor Albert Al-bert A. Sleeper of Michigan, that the campaign of the loser in the senatorial fight of 101S be investigated. Senator Newberry, the winner, with 1G co-defendants were recently found guilty of conspiracy to defeat the election laws of the state. Until the United States Supreme court passes on the verdict of the jury none of the IT men will be asked to relinquish any public office he may hold. The governor thinks that if the investigation is sincere, it should probe the Ford campaign. |