Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, the two leaders of the
Spartacus Party in Berlin, were captured on Wednesday week and put to death by their military escort. The Socialist Government, faithful to the traditions of the Imperial systems, circulated by wireless a lying story to the effect that Lieb- knecht woe shot while trying to escape and that the woman wan lynched by civilians. Herr Ebert feared lest the affair should cost his party votes at last Sunday's election. It is now ad- mitted that both the Anarchists were killed in cold blood, just as if they had been harmless French or Belgian civilians. We cannot grieve for these apostles of violence, who, if they had had their way, would have brought Germany to the same state of chaos as Russia by indiscriminate massacre and pillage. But their summary execution does not reflect any credit on the Socialist Government. The Spartaeus group is evidently a very small minority, and could be kept wider control by an efficient police. As it is, Herr Ebert has been maintained in office by the help of the Army, which, it is clear, is the true repository of power in Germany.
