While this matter was being debated the time approached for another renewal of the armistice. It came lust when the Peace Con ference was becommg most keenly aroused over the question of reparations and the de militarization of the Rhine Valley. Marshal Foch, backed by an overwhelming French sen timent, held out on one side, and President Wilson, with the support of Lloyd George, stood on the other. The French press was bit ter against President Wilson, and it was evi dent that it got its stimulus from the govern trent. So tense was the situation that Presi dent Wilson was reported to have threatened to urge the removal of the conference from Paris. It was not within the French plan to carry their agitation too far, and at this point Clemenceau agreed to a compromise. It was decided in the Supreme War Council on 12 February that the Germans must demobilize their army to such a number that it would not be feared by the Allies in their demobilized condition, and that they should cease their tnilitary operations in Posen against the Poles. On the 17th this decision was submitted to the German delegates. Erzberger, speaking for them, said that the German army was already reduced to 200,000 men. As for the fighting in Posen, he said that the Poles under the Fourteen Points claitned lands that were never Polish and tried to seize them, forcing the Germans to a defensive war. Their protest made no impression, however, and they were compelled to sign a renewal of the armistice on the terms of the Allies. It was some gain that the period was to be indefinite and it could be denounced by either party on three days' notice. They were given the assurance informally that if the armistice was executed the blockade would be lightened. The sur render of the German ships was again taken up and it was suggested that the Germans al low the seized German property in the United States to be sold in payment for the food taken to Germany. Erzberger replied that the Ger man govenunent had no power to take and hand over the property of individuals; that would be Bolshevism. As nothing was done about the shipping at this meeting, the matter came up on 6 March 1919, before the Allied Economic Commission at Spa. Ag-ain the Ger inans refused to give tip their ships unless as sured that food would be brought back to their own ports. As for payments, they offered to give any security that was demanded. Here the French objected to any pledges which would weaken Germany's ability to pay money in the reparation account. It was the same old im passe, but the French showed their hand when they suggested that the United States advance the food and take long-term obligations in pay ment. It was hard for the United States in the Paris negotiations to live down the idea that they were in the affair to, play tile part of generous go d-mo ther to suffering nations. When the French realized that no such part would be taken in the aliening crisil they'con, anted to a compromise; hut it vras not until the commission bad adjourned at Spa and the smatter came up before the Council of Ten in Paris cm 8 March. It was .then agreed that Germany could obtain 300,000 tons of food a month and that she was tei pay in potash or irk some other such product of her country, or by using her surviving credit in neutral am: tries, or in extrenie necessity by dipping. into her gold reserve .then in Germany. Mr. Her4 bert Hoover, whose management of food dn. tribution in Belgitmt and ut the United States had made hini one of the distirtguished meu of the day, was placed in charge of the distri bution of the food when it arrived.on this Con tinent. The •rationing of Austria was' held up hy Italy in the same way diet Frame In terfered in Germany and the affair was ad* jested in a similar manner. At the dine popu lar discontent way apparent in most European countries, and Warm generally believed that if food was not obtained the people would turn to Bolshevism.
The Revolution. in Geentimy.—The Ger man Enmire of Bismarck's making ended with the abdication of the kaiser during the night of 9-10 Nov. 1918. At the same time the king of Wurttemberg renotnited the throne and withht two or three days the kings of Bavaria and Saxony were deposed. In rapid succession every other hereditary ruler in Germany passed off the political stage, the former kaiser cap ping the process when on 28 November he re nounced the royal crown of Preside. • In their places were organized revolutionary govern ments, in which the leaders of the cialist party played active parts. In imperial affairs the lead was taken by a cabinet with Frederic's Ebert for Prime Minister, a leading Socialist who had beezt placed in the poeition of ithani cellar in the last moments of the old regime.
But the time •was too feverish for a quiet transi tion from a raonarchy to a reptiblk.
Among the opponents of Militarism vrere several different groups, each with its ideal for the government of the country. The example of Russia was before them. In fact, Russian hifluence had played a. considerable part in precipitating the crisis in Germany, and one of the first things was to organize a Soldiers' and Workmen's Council, which proceeded to form a soviet in' Berlin. Then came Dr. K.arl Lieblinecht and Rosa Luxemburg, extreme communists, creating a following who called themselves Spartacides, in • alhision to Sparta cos who led the Roman slaves in a. crusade for freedom. For two weeks the political pot boiled violently. Then good sense began V! prevail. Oil 25 November it was agreed that the Soldiers' and Workmen's Council shotdd be the repository of supreme power provision ally, and it took up the work of organizing the forces of government in a deliberate way, thus showing how much better trained for self-gov ernment were the workers of Germany than the workers of Russia. State councils of sol diers and workmen were called on to send dew. ties to a grand conference at Berlin on 16 De cember, which, when it met, ordered general elections held for choosing delegates to a con stituent convention, the due of election being 16 Jan. 1919. Here was the first step oat of the welter of struggling' patties. Probably the second was in appointing Gustave Noske to' command the military forces of the new governnant, a man who was true to the goversmient that existing and willing to use the forces of law and order at peril to his own popularity.
The evident Arend of things tcnvard a con. aerrative revohstion alarmed the Spartatides, who combatted to agitate for a Bolshevist regime. Eichhorn, the commander of the Berlin pcdice, was of their party and facilitated their designs. Finally the govermnent felt strorag enough to orckr his dismissal. This was the occasion of a general' revolt by the Spartatides. Great processions appeared in the streets, armed and threatening the goverinnerd. tilers were called out and conflicts began on 6 Jan. 1919. The Spartacides were well armed and seized a number of importsmt strong buildings, which they converted tato forts. For nine days the city was in a state of actual war, immy of the best boildings mere tooted and oth erwise damaged, and it was estinusted at, the time that 1,300 fell. Oil the side of the. rioters. On 15 January Dr. Lieblinecht and Ross.Lurs 'enaburg were arrested in their hiding places. Mobs assailed them in the street and both were killed, Liebknecht,.. it was reported, by sol diers while trying to escape his guard,. and Rosa Luxemburg by. a nseb of reactionaries :who lbeat hee down in the 'streets and carried off her !body. Aftee this the city returned to a state od comparative order.
Next day came dte elections. ;In the brief period of discumion tlrat had intervened six parties had developed, partly as (*rnitniations of older groups. The two Socialist factions, Majority sad independent, continued .to exiet, and by their Asides arose a map calling itself democratic, persons who angled a democratic government without Socisdism. Another group was the Catholic Centre: Two others were the Gernum Nationalises and the People's Party, including in one or the other the wealthy bour geoisie and the landed aristocracy. The firat three could berelied upon to support repub lic against monsirchy, the last two would favor the old regime, and the attittide of the fourth on' such a question was doubtful. Under the circtimstances the world .waited with anxiety the annouticement of theresults of the voting. It came after tnuch delay, showing that the Majority Socialists had 166 seats in. dm Con stituent. Assembly, 'She Independents 22, the Democrats 75, the Centrists 93, the German Nationalists 37 and the People's Party 23, with ive inegulars, whom the conservative press called ((the wild ones.* Thus the cause of re publicanitan had 263 out of the 421 delegates, a clear majority. The election returns showed, also, that it had the support of about 19,000,000 out of the total of 28,00O3000 voters. The call for the elections tad adopted universal sof frage,,which swelled the total number of votes to nearly half of the population and resulted in the choice of 28 delegates who were -women.