" Bloody Sunday "

With France allegedly fostering the Rhineland Separatist movement (which aims at a separate republic for the Rhineland, including the Ruhr), Rhineland Republicans last week were extremely busy. Herr Doktor Josef Matthes, leader of the secessionists, said: " The Rhineland's enemy is Prussia. We have suffered long enough for Berlin's sins. We have had enough of Berlin's paper marks. The time has come for breaking away."

Separatist posters read: " The Berlin Government has surrendered unconditionally. The break-up is already here. Your only refuge is a Rhineland republic, which alone can give you food and work. The population is called upon to turn out en masse on Sunday."

The attitude of Rhinelanders loyal to the Reich was contained in an order given by the Communists: " Give no quarter to the secessionist traitors! " Although the Communists (through the doctrines of Karl Marx, German philosopher) are pledged to internationalism, they are primarily concerned with the " welfare" of Germany and Russia. This explains their loyalty to the Reich.

The attitude of the Berlin Government was given by a German politician : " If we hate a Frenchman because of the torture we have been forced to endure, we despise a Separatist ten times more. However, whenever we run into a secessionist we scent a Frenchman."

When Sunday came along, some 15,000 secessionists assembled in Duesseldorf for their mass meeting. At the same time Communists held a counter meeting. Order was maintained during the procession that was formed, and then Dr. Josef Matthes began his speech: " The Separatists are animated by hatred toward none, but only desire peace, security and tranquillity." Shots rang out, men dropped dead, women and children screamed, a panic followed; the security police fired a fusillade, the secessionists replied with guns and cudgels, men, women and children fell dead or wounded. The fight was characterized by "savage brutality, particularly on the part of the Rhineland Separatists." Order was finally restored by the appearance of French cavalry and tanks. Several hundred people were killed and injured.

Dr. Matthes said after the massacre : " We will proclaim a republic before the end of Autumn. The republic will grow with the Rhenish grapes next Spring. We will proclaim it in a place least expected. Paris is the best place for the announcement."

It seems certain, as far as anything is certain, that the Rhineland will not secede. The Separatists are a noisy minority and the rest of the Reich, chiefly on account of the economic value of the Ruhr, is solid for no separation. Moreover the Allies are pledged to refuse recognition to a Rhineland Republic (see page 7), although there can be no doubt that France would welcome a separate Rhineland State as giving her more protection against future German aggression.